Sudan’s Khartoum International Airport has taken a major step toward reopening with the completion of a new runway, more than two years after it was shut down at the outbreak of the country’s civil war.
Members of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council inspected the facility on Thursday to assess reconstruction progress.
The army recaptured the airport in March, but its terminals, arrival halls, and essential services such as electricity and water still require repair before operations can resume.
Council member Ibrahim Jaber described the work as “significant progress” and expressed hope that flights would soon return, reconnecting Sudanese citizens who fled the war with their homeland.
He called the reopening “a lifeline” for displaced people longing to see their homes and workplaces again.
Reports suggest the federal government could relocate back to Khartoum when the airport reopens, possibly in October.
For now, the government and state institutions continue to operate from Port Sudan in the east due to ongoing fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The conflict, which began in April 2023, has killed over 40,000 people and displaced about 12 million, according to the United Nations.
While the army controls Sudan’s north, east, and much of the central region—including Khartoum—the RSF still holds parts of the western Darfur region.
Military control of the airport and relative calm in the capital could enable aid groups to fly in desperately needed supplies to address a worsening humanitarian crisis, with more than half the population facing acute food insecurity.
