Airplanes are a highly effective way of traversing such a large country.

WITH the civil war over, bright prospects in the oil sector, and improving relations with the wider world, Sudan is eager to relaunch its air travel industry.

“Sudan is a vast country, and the need for the development of civil aviation services and infrastructure is pressing,” declares Abu Bakr Gaafar Ahmed, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

In the future, Mr. Ahmed envisages Khartoum as a regional center for aviation. “With Khartoum being at the center of Sudan, and Sudan being at the center of nine major African countries, it has the potential to become a transportation hub, both for passengers and cargo,” he says.

In preparation, some 30 miles to the southwest of the Sudanese capital, construction is under way on a new international airport. The first of three development phases will be completed within three years. It is planned to accommodate ten million passengers and approximately 200,000 tons of cargo annually.

Several foreign airlines fly into Sudan, and with economic activity increasing, and the longer-term prospect of developing the tourism industry, the number is expected to grow.

ABU BAKR GAAFAR AHMED General Manager of the Civil Aviation Authority

“There are many companies showing an interest in establishing routes, and we will constantly try to upgrade facilities at the existing airport until the new one opens,” says Mr. Ahmed.

Increased traffic has already necessitated raising the capacity of the airport, which is equipped to handle only up to one million passengers a year.
Plans for the new airport include two runways, two passenger terminals, service utilities, and administrative offices. Supporting infrastructure will include roads and bridges, and a brand new highway connecting the new airport to the center of the city.

A ring road is planned for Khartoum, with five bridges crossing the River Nile at different points. “The transportation map of Khartoum will be drastically improved with these developments. Access to the airport from every part of the city will be very simple,” says Mr. Ahmed.

The CAA’s plans extend to improving aviation infrastructure all over the country. One of the newest airports in Sudan is at Malakal, in the south, while improvements and upgrading are also taking place at Juba.

Sudan Airways operates services throughout the country and scheduled international flights.

In March, it plans to start direct flights from Khartoum via Juba to Entebbe, following the normalization of relations between Sudan and Uganda. The national carrier already has regular flights to Kenya and Tanzania. The connection to Uganda will boost trade and business connections between Sudan and the entire East African community.