Khartoum International Airport

Not to be confused with Khartoum New International Airport, which is under construction.

Khartoum International Airport (IATA: KRT, ICAO: HSSK) (Arabic: مطار الخرطوم الدولي) is the principal airport in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. The airport was shut down for nearly two years as it was stormed and occupied from 15 April 2023 to 25 March 2025 during the Battle of Khartoum.^[2][3]

Access Road

Khartoum International Airport مطار الخرطوم الدولي Maṭār Al-Khurṭūm Al-Duwaliyy
IATA: KRT ICAO: HSSK
Summary
Airport type	Civil and Military (Joint)
Serves	Khartoum
Location	Khartoum, Sudan
Hub for	Badr Airlines, Sudan Airways, Tarco Aviation
Elevation AMSL	1,265 ft / 386 m
Coordinates	15°35′22″N 32°33′11″E
Website	krtairport.gov.sd
Map
KRT Location of airport in Sudan
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 18/36 9,777 2,980 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 3,563,181
Source: Khartoum International Airport[1]

History

The airport originated as the Royal Air Force airfield Gordon's Tree. By January 1940, No. 223 Squadron RAF was located at Gordon's Tree, in the south of Khartoum.^[4] Later the area became known as El Shajjara ("The Tree").^[5] By January 1942, No. 71 Operational Training Unit (OTU) RAF was operating from the airfield; among aircraft operated were Curtiss Tomahawks and Vickers Wellesleys. Reportedly the OTU had at one stage 50 Harvards and 20 Hurricane fighters on strength.^[6]

Sudanese independence was granted on 1 January 1956. The last Royal Air Force flying unit reported at Khartoum was No. 8 Squadron RAF, which arrived in November 1953, and stayed until July 1956.^[7]

The current airport is scheduled to be replaced by the New Khartoum International Airport in Omdourman 40 kilometres (25 mi) south of the centre of Khartoum. This is planned to have two 4,000 metres (13,000 ft) runways, a passenger terminal of 86,000 m² (930,000 sq ft) and a 300-room international hotel.^[8][9] Construction is to be carried out by China Harbour Engineering Co. (CHEC).^[10] On 4 March 2021, the airport's ICAO code was changed from HSSS to HSSK.^[11]

At the start of the Sudanese civil war (2023–present) on 15 April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) attacked key installations in Khartoum, including Khartoum International Airport. The RSF reportedly fired on a Saudia airliner which was arriving at the airport, but no casualties were reported among the aircraft's passengers and crew.^[12][13] However, two civilians were killed in separate incidents in the airport.^[14] A total of 20 aircraft were believed to have been destroyed during the fighting.^[15] The RSF subsequently occupied the airport, which has been closed to aviation and has been subjected to attacks by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) during the Battle of Khartoum.^[16] The SAF regained control of the airport on 26 March 2025.^[17]

Airlines and destinations

Departure Hall in 2010

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations
Afriqiyah Airways	Benghazi, Tripoli–Mitiga
Badr Airlines	Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Amman–Queen Alia,[18] Cairo, Damazin, Doha, Dubai–International, El Fasher, El Obeid, Geneina, Istanbul, Jeddah, Juba, Kano, Kassala, N'Djamena, Nyala, Port Sudan, Riyadh, Wau
Berniq Airways	Benghazi[19]
Egyptair	Cairo
Emirates	Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines	Addis Ababa
Flyadeal	Jeddah, Riyadh
Flydubai	Dubai–International
Flynas	Abha,[20] Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh
Golden Wings Aviation	Juba, Wau
Gulf Air	Bahrain
Kenya Airways	Juba,[21] Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
Nova Airways[22]	Dongola, El Fasher, Juba, Merowe, Nyala, Port Sudan, Wau
Qatar Airways	Doha
Royal Jordanian	Amman–Queen Alia[23]
SalamAir	Muscat[24]
Saudia	Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh
Sudan Airways	Addis Ababa, Asmara, Cairo, El Fasher, Geneina, Jeddah, Juba, Kano, N'Djamena, Nyala, Port Sudan, Riyadh
Syrian Air	Damascus
Tarco Aviation	Amman–Queen Alia, Asmara, Cairo, Dammam, Doha,[25] Entebbe, Jeddah, Juba, Kano, N'Djamena, Riyadh
Turkish Airlines	Istanbul
Yemenia	Aden

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations
EgyptAir Cargo[citation needed]	Cairo, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta
Emirates Sky Cargo[26]	Dubai–Al Maktoum
Ethiopian Airlines Cargo[citation needed]	Addis Ababa, Liège
Qatar Airways Cargo[citation needed]	Doha
SalamAir[27]	Muscat
Saudia Cargo[citation needed]	Jeddah
Turkish Cargo[citation needed]	Istanbul, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta

Khartoum Air Base

The airport hosts a major Sudanese Air Force Transport Squadron:^[28]

• Antonov An-12
• Antonov An-26
• Antonov An-30
• Antonov An-32
• Antonov An-72/74
• Lockheed C-130H
• Ilyushin Il-62M - personnel transport
• Ilyushin Il-76TD strategic transport
• Dassault Falcon 50 VIP transport
• Dassault Falcon 900 VIP transport

Police Air Wing operates rotary aircraft from the base:

• Mil Mi-8
• Mil Mi-17
• SAFAT-02

Accidents and incidents

• On 1 January 1942, Vickers Wellesley Mark I L2660 of No. 71 Operational Training Unit RAF was written off, damaged beyond repair, on take-off from Gordon's Tree.^[29]
• On 27 August 1952, Vickers Viscount G-AHRF operated by the Ministry of Supply (United Kingdom) was damaged beyond economic repair when its starboard undercarriage collapsed on landing.^[30]
• On 19 July 1983, Douglas C-47A N480F of Chevron Oil crashed shortly after take-off from Khartoum International Airport on a non-scheduled passenger flight. Both engines had failed, probably due to contaminated fuel. All 27 people on board survived.^[31]
• Sudan Airways Flight 109: On 10 June 2008, an aircraft operating from Amman, Jordan, landed and went off the end of the runway. The right engine then caught fire and the fire spread rapidly. Preliminary reports stated that around 100 of the 200 passengers had been killed^[32] but this was revised to 30 dead with 184 survivors.^[33]
• On 30 June 2008, an Ilyushin Il-76 exploded into a fireball on take-off. All 4 crew were killed.^[34]
• On 3 October 2018, a Sudan Air Force Antonov An-32 collided with another Sudan Air Force Antonov An-30.^[35]
• On 15 April 2023, during the Battle of Khartoum between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), several airliners, including a Saudia Airbus A330 Regional (HZ-AQ30) and a SkyUp Airlines Boeing 737-800 were destroyed in the fighting. There were no known casualties from both planes.^[36] The RSF occupied the airport from 15 April 2023 until 25 March 2025.^[37]