Sudan urged to lift constraints on aviation revenues as Khartoum airport reopens

Sudan’s tentative return to normal air traffic has prompted calls for the government to loosen its grip on aviation revenues, as officials signal the reopening of the country’s skies after years of disruption caused by war.

Aviation specialists say that recent moves to resume regional and international flights mark more than a technical milestone. They amount, rather, to a symbolic reassertion of state sovereignty—specifically, the ability to manage national airspace in accordance with international standards.

On Tuesday, the  Sudan Airports Company announced that Khartoum International Airport is operationally ready to receive both regional and international flights, following the completion of preparatory measures. The declaration comes alongside assurances from Sudan’s prime minister, Kamil Idris, who has pledged to remove obstacles facing the country’s airports and to extend full support for infrastructure upgrades aligned with global norms.

Speaking during a meeting at Port Sudan airport with senior aviation officials, Idris emphasised the government’s commitment to facilitating civilian movement, particularly for voluntary return programmes. Aviation authorities, for their part, confirmed that both technical and administrative requirements for reopening Sudan’s airspace have been met.

Beneath the optimism lies a more structural concern

Yet beneath the optimism lies a more structural concern. Ibrahim Adlan, a former head of the civil aviation authority, argues that such pledges will remain hollow unless accompanied by financial reform. In particular, he calls for the removal of finance ministry controls over aviation revenues, especially overflight fees charged to aircraft traversing Sudanese airspace.

These revenues, he contends, are levied in exchange for specific services and ought to be reinvested directly into airport infrastructure, equipment and staff training. Current restrictions stem from a hastily enacted 2023 law granting the finance ministry sweeping authority over public funds—measures that, in his view, have stifled the sector’s capacity to develop.

Adlan insists that the reopening of Khartoum airport should not be treated as a routine operational update. Rather, it signals the restoration of a complex aviation ecosystem, encompassing flight safety, security protocols, passenger protection and the readiness of air navigation systems, including communications, surveillance and radar.

He adds that compliance with global aviation standards—from runways and taxiways to lighting systems and ground services—suggests Sudan has regained a baseline level of operational readiness sufficient to accommodate international traffic without technical restrictions.

Even so, he cautions that the announcement marks the beginning of a more demanding phase. Political will, though necessary, is insufficient on its own. It must be translated into concrete policies, including restoring technical authority to aviation regulators and revisiting past personnel decisions—such as the controversial dismissal of experienced staff in 2012, which he says deprived the sector of critical expertise.

The path forward, Adlan argues, lies in adherence to international governance standards, sustained investment in infrastructure and technology, and the modernisation of air navigation systems. Only then can official rhetoric evolve into a credible long-term strategy.

For now, Sudan’s aviation revival remains a fragile but telling indicator: a sector poised between recovery and reform, and a state seeking to reclaim both control of its skies and confidence in its institutions.