Sudan loses over $1 billion in aviation revenue due to three-year airspace closure
May 09, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan has incurred financial losses exceeding $1 billion due to the full and partial closure of its airspace over the past three years, according to a former aviation official.
The Civil Aviation Authority announced on Friday the reopening of Sudanese airspace to international traffic at Khartoum International Airport, aiming to restore operational efficiency and air transport flow.
Ibrahim Adlan, the former director of the Civil Aviation Authority, said on Saturday that experts estimate monthly losses from overflight fees ranged between $12 million and $35 million during the closure.
“Calculating these losses over nearly three years, Sudan has lost between $432 million at the minimum and approximately $1.26 billion at the maximum,” Adlan wrote in an analytical article.
He argued that airspace management should have relied on risk assessment and management rather than a prolonged total shutdown. International standards, particularly from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), do not mandate total closures in conflict zones but encourage phased operations based on safety evaluations.
Adlan noted that the lost revenue could have directly funded the rehabilitation of airports, modernization of navigation systems, and human resource training impacted by the war.
The former official criticized the delay in addressing the file, stating that reopening the airspace should have been a strategic priority. He questioned why the decision was linked to external coordination for so long, describing it as a sovereign Sudanese technical matter.
Sudanese airlines resumed flights between Port Sudan and Khartoum on Friday. The reopening follows a drone strike on Khartoum International Airport last Monday that had briefly suspended operations.
The Sudanese government accused Ethiopia of providing launch platforms for Rapid Support Forces (RSF) drones that targeted the airport and other sites, an allegation Addis Ababa has previously denied.
Khartoum International Airport was knocked out of service in April 2023 when the conflict began. While the airport underwent rehabilitation after the military regained control from the RSF, subsequent drone attacks have repeatedly hindered a full return to normalcy.