Turkish Airlines resumes flights to Sudan after nearly 3 years of suspension

Turkish Airlines has resumed direct flights to Sudan after a 29-month suspension, in what Ankara called a show of solidarity with the war-torn country.

“We have renewed the direct flights of Turkish Airlines to Sudan after 29 months. The people of Sudan are once again more closely connected with the world. A strong message of solidarity. The people of Sudan are not alone,” Turkish Ambassador to Sudan Fatih Yildiz said on Wednesday.

The resumption comes as Sudan reels from one of region’s deadliest conflicts in decades. Fighting erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

The war has killed more than 150,000 people and displaced about 12 million, according to aid groups. Millions face acute hunger amid widespread destruction across Khartoum, Darfur and other regions.

The RSF, an outgrowth of the Janjaweed militia accused of atrocities in Darfur, initially seized much of the capital before the army pushed it back in March 2025. The paramilitary has since announced a rival government, raising fears of deeper fragmentation. Both sides have faced accusations of war crimes and human rights abuses.

Last month, the International Organization for Migration said about two million people had returned to areas recaptured by the army, mostly from within Sudan but also from neighboring Egypt, Libya and South Sudan.

Turkey’s flag carrier is among the first international airlines to restore services to Sudan, a step seen as part of cautious efforts toward normalcy even as the conflict grinds on.