• Khartoum International Airport has reopened for domestic flights after over two years of closure due to the civil war.
• Recent drone attacks by RSF forces caused delays, raising concerns about safety.
• The first flight landed successfully, signaling a cautious return to normalcy in Sudan's aviation sector.

Khartoum International Airport has resumed domestic flights after a closure lasting more than two years, with the first flight successfully landing on Wednesday. This reopening is seen as a crucial step towards reviving the aviation sector in Sudan, as confirmed by the airport authorities and various media reports. Despite this positive development, the airport’s reopening comes amid ongoing threats, including drone attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that targeted the facility just hours before the first flight's arrival, indicating persistent instability in the region according to CBS News, India Times, and Anadolu Agency.

The reopening was officially announced by Khartoum authorities, and marked by the landing of a Badr Airlines flight carrying Sudan's Sovereignty Council head, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. While the flight’s arrival symbolizes a return of air operations, the civil aviation authorities are grappling with the implications of recent drone strikes that have caused significant concern regarding passenger safety. Eyewitness reports detailed numerous explosions and thick smoke emanating from the airport shortly after the attacks, emphasizing the precarious security situation surrounding the aviation sector according to CBS News, India Times, and Anadolu Agency.

As the Sudanese government works to restore functionality to Khartoum, there are encouraging signs that this reopening could bolster key supply routes and reconnect parts of the country affected by the ongoing conflict. The traffic primarily aims to support humanitarian efforts as Sudan faces one of the worst humanitarian crises to date, with up to 15 million people displaced and over 20,000 deaths reported since the conflict escalated in April 2023. Observers noted that despite the challenges, this reopening may develop into a pivotal factor in restoring public services and trade links throughout the nation, according to CBS News, India Times, and Anadolu Agency.

The airstrikes leading up to the reopening have raised apprehensions about the government’s capability to maintain flight safety amid ongoing hostilities. Nonetheless, the successful operation of flights from Khartoum represents a tentative cautious optimism regarding the restoration of civil aviation in Sudan. Future operations are anticipated to expand, paving the way for the gradual return of international flights once security conditions further stabilize, according to CBS News, India Times, and Anadolu Agency.