Sky-Rocketing Tickets Spoil the Joy Over Reopening Khartoum Airport

Sudanhorizon – Nazik Shammam

Most Sudanese are eagerly awaiting the landing of the first civilian flight at Khartoum Airport tomorrow, Wednesday — a Badr Airlines flight arriving from Port Sudan Airport. This marks the first such flight since the war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023. The announcement of the event was met with clear relief and celebration among Sudanese citizens.

On Monday, the Civil Aviation Authority issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) announcing the reopening of Khartoum International Airport for domestic flights starting Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in accordance with approved operational procedures.

The authority stated that the decision confirms the airport’s readiness to gradually receive flights after completing all necessary technical and operational preparations.

Resumption of Flights

Last Sunday, Badr Airlines officially announced the resumption of its flights from Khartoum International Airport starting Wednesday, October 22.

According to statements given by the company’s media office to the Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the resumption of flights responds to citizens’ aspirations, emphasizing that this step represents the triumph of the Sudanese people’s will and determination to restore normal life to the capital, Khartoum.

The company added that it resumed operations as part of its encouragement for the Sudanese people to unite in rebuilding and reconstructing everything destroyed by the war.

In August, Tarco Airlines also added Khartoum Airport back into its booking system — a move that, at the time, signaled the imminent resumption of operations.

Domestic Flights

According to officials, Khartoum International Airport will partially resume operations, with domestic flights running between Khartoum and Port Sudan. However, this good news has been dampened by the soaring prices of domestic flight tickets, which now reach up to 900,000 Sudanese pounds — approximately USD 260 — a figure considered very high given the current harsh economic conditions facing Sudanese citizens.

Explanations

A travel agency owner — who preferred to remain anonymous — attributed the high ticket prices to the continuous depreciation of the Sudanese pound against the U.S. dollar.

Speaking to Ultra Sudan, the agency owner explained, “Ticket prices are set in dollars, so fluctuations in exchange rates directly affect costs.”

Operational Costs

Sudan’s parallel markets have seen a sharp rise in the dollar’s exchange rate, exceeding 3,650 Sudanese pounds per dollar. The travel agent added that “the high cost of aircraft operation also contributes to increased ticket prices,” noting that prices vary between airlines.

He revealed that currently, only two commercial airlines — Tarco and Badr — are operating in Sudan, while Sudan Airways’ fleet remains grounded for maintenance.

He also pointed out that despite assurances about the resumption of domestic flights at Khartoum Airport, unforeseen developments could delay or disrupt the planned launch.

Impact on International Travel

Meanwhile, Tana Media’s director, Mohyeddin Jibril, noted that the ticket prices announced by airlines for Port Sudan–Khartoum flights are excessively high and beyond citizens’ financial capacity.

Jibril explained that such high domestic ticket prices will also increase the overall cost of international travel, as flights from Port Sudan to Cairo already cost around 1,200,000 Sudanese pounds (about USD 342), meaning that the total for both trips could exceed 2 million pounds.

He added that this will be especially difficult for Sudanese families wishing to travel via Khartoum Airport to or from Port Sudan, particularly for families with multiple members.

Jibril further pointed out that airfare prices are extremely high compared to long-distance bus fares, making air travel inaccessible to most citizens.

Insurance Costs

For his part, the Secretary of the Travel and Tourism Agencies Association, Shazly Abdel Karim, said that airlines justify the high ticket prices by citing the rise in insurance costs and the increase in the dollar’s exchange rate.

However, he revealed that insurance only accounts for about 10% of ticket prices, while airlines raise this rate to as much as 60%, significantly inflating prices.

Abdel Karim affirmed that travel agencies have no authority to lower or increase ticket prices — nor even the right to object to them — placing responsibility on the Civil Aviation Authority, which sets prices in coordination with the airlines. He stressed that the current ticket prices are excessively high.

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