It’s not often you see aircraft set on fire…
In this post:
Khartoum Airport is under attack
There’s quite a bit of unrest in Sudan at the moment, with tensions stemming from a disagreement over how the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in south Khartoum would be integrated into the military.
This disagreement has escalated significantly today, with gunfire and blasts reported in the country’s capital, Khartoum, following days of tension. There have been explosions and shootings all over the city, including near the army headquarters, the defense ministry, and even at the international airport.
As it impacts aviation, there’s video footage of multiple commercial aircraft at Khartoum Airport quite literally on fire. At a minimum, we know that:
- A five year old Airbus A330-300 with the registration code HZ-AQ30 belonging to Saudia was on fire; the plane had arrived from Riyadh
- A nine year old Boeing 737-800 with the registration code UR-SQA belonging to SkyUp Airlines; the plane had arrived from Cairo
There’s not much context for the airport breach just yet, and how much control has been lost of the airport. While it sucks to see these expensive planes set on fire, I hope that at least that there were no people onboard when this happened, and if so, that they were able to evacuate safely.
Khartoum Airport sees lots of air service
I think it’s important to emphasize that Khartoum Airport (KRT) sees significant service from large, international airlines. The airport has regular service from Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, FlyDubai, Gulf Air, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Turkish Airlines, and more.
For example, Emirates’ daily Boeing 777-300ER operated to Khartoum as recently as yesterday (April 14), but today’s flight was canceled. It’s pretty amazing how airlines operate so safely to countries that can quickly get into such a fragile situation.
It looks like today, most flights in the early morning hours operated to Khartoum as scheduled, with airlines like Ethiopian, EgyptAir, and Saudia, having operated their regular service.
Meanwhile it was around mid-morning where airlines stopped flying to Khartoum. For example, Ethiopian’s 10:35AM flight from Addis Ababa to Khartoum took off, but then returned to the airport.
Similarly, flyadeal’s 11:10AM flight from Riyadh to Khartoum took off, but then returned to the airport.
Flights after that just ended up being canceled altogether.
Bottom line
Khartoum is in a pretty rough spot at the moment, with major unrest. This has impacted operations at the country’s biggest airport, as multiple commercial aircraft have been set on fire. As you’d expect, airlines are canceling flights to the airport, and I imagine that will last for quite some time.
What do you make of the situation at Khartoum Airport?
How is this newsworthy on this blog? There are many places that are in and out of wars and have similar problems but you don't talk about those places.
Because they only want to hear about big bully saving the day from a propaganda invasion of a sovereign state, which became sovereign from bully's own influence and hidden agenda.
Those many places that are in and out of wars and have similar problems didn't get attention because they are not a useful pawn with strategic commercial or military benefits.
Unfortunately most comments here point to being brainwashed by propaganda already.
Did you notice it was about planes?
The Sudan has been a basket case since 1986. Nothing unusual about this.
Brownie points to you for (correctly) using the definite article.
What a shame. I've visited in the past and the people have always been quite hospitable
I know with the last military coup and the current warlord trying to take over the country with his militia, that the people have suffered a lot. I'm hoping the country corrects and goes in the right direction sooner rather than later.
>I've visited in the past and the people have always been quite hospitable
This is a regime that executes LGBT people if they haven't already been tortured to death by local mobs. Please calm down. It's a terrible country.
Ouch! Watch out @Eskimoo...some people don't suffer fools lightly. Yeah, sometimes they bite back. Maybe you should have stayed asleep in your parent's basement instead of firing up that old Commodore 64.
SkyUp is a Ukrainian airline. They got their planes safely out of Ukraine only to have one destroyed in Sudan.
Based on SAUDIA’s press release, it doesn’t seem that anyone was injured during the evacuation.
https://twitter.com/svmedia_center/status/1647242319639334913/photo/1
Time for a coalition to send in Abrams and Leopard tanks, HIMARS and PATRIOT missiles, advance UAVs, and $400 billion to aid someone else's civil war on some other country far far away?
Nope Sudan isn't a buffer pawn next to a major superpower or a nuclear threat. Their country can crash and burn by themselves.
Russia's invasion of the sovereign state of Ukraine is no civil war, and to refer to it as such identifies you clearly as a schmuck.
Eskimo sometimes you speak with brain, sometimes you act like an idiot like in this case
Eve, for the win!
Propaganda for the win!
Proxy interference on 'civil unrest' years ago that destabilize the region that ended up affect the present makes me a schmuck. So be it. I'm not suggesting the special military operation (or invasion to some, or civil war to others) is right or wrong. The big picture (if you can see it) is there is a proxy war going on, and the local civilians are the ones who suffer.
Lucky...
Propaganda for the win!
Proxy interference on 'civil unrest' years ago that destabilize the region that ended up affect the present makes me a schmuck. So be it. I'm not suggesting the special military operation (or invasion to some, or civil war to others) is right or wrong. The big picture (if you can see it) is there is a proxy war going on, and the local civilians are the ones who suffer.
Lucky for Sudanese people, a proxy war isn't needed to send weapons right up against other super powers, we just don't get involved. Even contexts are similar, local coup, military dictator, no democracy, etc.
I'm sure if you replace Sudan with -stans, a civil war/coup is a great excuse to send another $400 billion and aim more weapon right next to Russia or China.
Double standards or just military politics, doesn't matter the local civilians always suffer.
Either you can see through it or you can't. Shoot the messenger if you like, doesn't change the message.
Speaking of "sovereign state" try get any US President to a clear yes or no answer that about Taiwan.
"sovereignty" depends on who and how you're asking. Great propaganda blurs the line, for both sides.
@Eskimo: quick, who’s Russia’s proxy?
@Eve
You know what they say about broken clocks.
@David
Worst, a running clock that is set incorrectly, you never get it right.
Thank you for having a Different perspective than the Idiots. The $Billions spent in Ukraine is like spending was in Viet Nam & Afghanistan. Only ones to Benefit were the Boeings, Nortrop, etc,etc.
"There’s quite a bit of unrest in Sudan at the moment"
Has it been ever different? There has been all the time problems within those countries and I'm quite sure that's not going to change in the large future.
Every country faces his problems but no one hits African continent. And still 'admiring' russia will not help them.