The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Sudan, imposing a ban on flights to and from the UK due to safety concerns. The FCDO alert, issued late on Monday, May 11, into Tuesday, May 12, specifically affects Sudanese airports.
Airport Operations and Drone Strike Risks
The FCDO warned that Khartoum Airport and Port Sudan Airport are operating limited numbers of international and domestic flights. However, both airports have been targeted by drone strikes due to the ongoing conflict. The risk of further attacks continues and might cause the airports to close temporarily again.
Airline Safety Standards
There are currently no Sudanese airlines that meet the standards required to operate direct flights to the UK or the European Union. The UK Air Safety List (ASL) includes all known airlines in Sudan that do not meet international safety standards and are banned from operating commercial air services to, from, and within the UK. Travelers are advised to check the UK Air Safety List when considering which airlines to fly with. The list is maintained by the Department for Transport, based on advice from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Security Precautions for Travelers
Due to the conflict, it is not advisable to take photographs in secure areas in Sudan. Travelers should avoid taking photographs or using a mobile phone camera close to government buildings, military installations, public utilities including petrol stations, and other sensitive areas such as bridges and airports. Plain-clothed public security officers operate in these areas.
International Aid for Sudan
In April, more than £1 billion (€1.15 billion) was pledged for war-ravaged Sudan at a conference in Berlin, eclipsing the funding target organisers had set to help mitigate the world's largest humanitarian crisis. This funding will help offset a chronic humanitarian shortfall in a country devastated by three years of conflict, where two-thirds of the population – 34 million people – require assistance. German ministers had set a notional target of $1 billion (£740 million) in funding commitments from international donors. Neither of Sudan's warring parties – the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the army – travelled to Berlin.
