Khartoum airport closed down after two SAF planes collide

Khartoum International Airport (KRT), the main airport of the Sudanese capital, was temporarily closed on October 3, 2018, after two military planes of the Sudan Air Force (SAF) collided on the runway. No fatalities were reported, however, there have been some reports of serious injuries.

Leaked footage shows that the two military transport planes of the SAF, an Antonov 26 and Antonov 32, collided on the runway while landing, as they were returning from a training mission. The impact was brutal and seriously damaged both aircraft, severing the tail of one of them. While no casualties were reported by the officials, Al-Sudan Al-Youm news website said eight people were ‘seriously injured’ in the accident.

Spokesperson for the African nation’s Civil Aviation Authority, Abdel-Hafiz Abdel-Rahim, told the Sudan Tribune that Khartoum airport authorities had suspended air traffic for several hours in order to take the necessary safety precautions, in accordance with international regulations. Some international flights were diverted to Port Sudan New International Airport (PZU).