Sudan Airways

Airline overview

Sudan Airways Co. Ltd. is the national flag carrier of the Republic of the Sudan, headquartered in the capital Khartoum at 161 Obied Khatim Street. The airline was founded in February 1946 and began operations in July 1947, making it one of the oldest air carriers on the African continent.

Sudan Airways is registered with ICAO under the airline code SUD, has the IATA airline code SD and uses air waybill (AWB) prefix 200. Those codes apply to waybill issue, capacity booking and baggage or cargo tracing across all its passenger and freight business. As the only Sudanese flag carrier that has operated an international scheduled network, Sudan Airways historically carried most of the air traffic between Sudan and the outside world.

Sudan Airways is currently owned by the Sudanese government and supervised by the Ministry of Defence. It belongs to no global alliance and has no codeshare arrangements. Its operating hub was Khartoum International Airport (KRT), and because of the armed conflict since 2023 its temporary operating base is Port Sudan International Airport (PZU). The official website is sudanair.com, some functions of which may not work.

For Chinese shippers, Sudan is an important Chinese trading partner in Africa, and Chinese exports there are dominated by electromechanical products, electrical and electronic goods, vehicles and parts, textiles and high-tech products. As the Sudanese flag carrier, Sudan Airways has ground relationships in both Khartoum and Port Sudan that still carry practical value for receiving Chinese export cargo in Sudan, connecting clearance and distributing domestically; the international trunk leg from China to Sudan is flown by substitute carriers, and the two legs together form the complete movement.

Current operating status

In April 2023 large-scale armed conflict broke out in Sudan and Khartoum International Airport (KRT) was badly damaged, with the runway, terminal and navigation facilities all affected, leaving it closed or operating at reduced capacity for a long period. As of October 2025 repairs had only just begun and no timetable for full resumption has been set.

Against that background Sudan's international air traffic has shifted to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast. Port Sudan International Airport (PZU) is now the country's main international air gateway, handling most international passenger and cargo flights in and out of Sudan, and the Sudan Airways operating base has moved to Port Sudan accordingly.

Before the conflict Sudan Airways had a more complete fleet, including Airbus A300B4-600R widebodies, Boeing 707-320C combi aircraft, Boeing 737-200C convertible aircraft and Fokker F27 and F50 regional aircraft. The A300B4-600R was a twin-aisle widebody with substantial belly capacity and was the backbone of Sudan Airways international capacity. War damage, spares shortages and economic sanctions mean all of those types are retired or unserviceable, and the airline now runs only 2 narrowbodies on a limited domestic and regional network.

In addition, all Sudanese-registered airlines are currently barred from European Union airspace, so Sudan Airways cannot fly to any European destination. That means a cargo route from China to Sudan connecting in Europe cannot use the airline on any leg.

Contact details and business support in China

Sudan Airways has no office or representative office of its own in China and no ticket office or cargo agency in any Chinese city.

Customers who need to deal with Sudan Airways directly on freight are advised to use the following channels.

Given that Sudan Airways has no organisation of its own in China and its operations are constrained by the situation inside Sudan, Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) can help customers connect with Sudan Airways on freight matters. Goodhope has extensive experience as an air freight forwarder for Africa and can handle capacity booking, waybill issue, cargo tracking and clearance coordination. For further assistance, contact details are on the Goodhope website at goodhope86.com.

Aircraft types

Sudan Airways' current freight capacity depends entirely on the belly space of the aircraft it operates. Since the airline operates no dedicated freighters, all air cargo must travel in the lower-deck belly hold of passenger aircraft. The details of the types currently in service and those operated historically are set out below.

Types currently in service

Types operated historically, now retired

Sudan Airways has operated a number of types suited to medium and long-haul routes, some with substantial freight capability. The main types it once operated and has now retired are listed below.

Sudan Airways therefore once had the ability to fly medium and long-haul freight with widebody passenger aircraft and convertible freighters. With those types retired and operations disrupted by the 2023 conflict, freight capacity has shrunk sharply to the present level of two narrowbody belly holds.

From a Chinese shipper's point of view, the A320-200 and B737-300 belly holds can carry the local transfer leg after cargo from China has reached Port Sudan through a third country, which suits light consignments such as documents, samples, small parcels and urgent spares exported from China.

China airport service and routes

Sudan Airways currently operates no scheduled or charter flights at any Chinese airport. It has no destination in China and no operating counter or cargo service desk at major Chinese international airports such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Historical route record

Sudan Airways once operated a route from Khartoum to Shanghai Pudong International Airport with Boeing 777 widebodies, the only scheduled service the airline ever ran to the Chinese market. During its operation the route provided a direct air link for people and goods between Sudan and China. It has since been withdrawn for reasons including operational adjustments and changes in market demand, and has not resumed.

For customers needing to fly cargo from China to Sudan, Goodhope recommends the following substitute carriers according to cargo nature, transit requirement and budget. As a professional forwarder, Goodhope can handle the whole process from booking to delivery at destination.

Substitute options from China to Sudan

Because Sudan Airways cannot currently operate a China route, air cargo exported from China to Sudan must connect through a third-country hub with another airline. The main substitute options in the market are set out below. Actual feasibility, frequency, capacity and rates may change with market conditions, and confirmation by Goodhope on the day of booking governs.

Global coverage

In its operating history Sudan Airways built a network covering Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe. Most of those routes are now suspended or withdrawn; the historical destinations are listed below to show the traditional coverage. Actual operations follow the current timetable.

From a Chinese shipper's point of view, Dubai, Doha, Istanbul, Jeddah, Addis Ababa and Cairo among those historical destinations are also the main connecting hubs for air freight from China to Sudan today, and Chinese cargo from a gateway now connects through those cities on substitute carriers to Port Sudan.

Freight advantages

From the point of view of shipping from China to Sudan, although Sudan Airways now operates on a limited scale, it still offers the following value in receiving cargo in Sudan and distributing it locally.

Specialist freight value-added services

Cargo arriving in Sudan through a third country can use the following local freight services at the Port Sudan gateway. Because of capacity limits, availability and frequency may change at any time, subject to confirmation at booking.

Belly-hold freight

All Sudan Airways freight currently moves in passenger belly holds. The A320-200 hold carries about 3 to 5 tonnes and the B737-300 about 2 to 3 tonnes. Belly capacity suits light consignments arriving at Port Sudan from China through a third country, such as documents, samples, small parcels and urgent spares. Oversize and overweight cargo needs prior confirmation of acceptability from the carrier.

Domestic transfer

Sudan Airways operates domestic routes linking Port Sudan with Khartoum, Juba, El Fasher and other cities. Cargo exported from China and arriving at Port Sudan on an international flight can be carried on again on Sudan Airways domestic flights, giving distribution from the Red Sea coast to inland Sudanese cities. That domestic transfer is of real practical value to customers who need cargo delivered inland, particularly towards Darfur and South Sudan.

Charter enquiries

Where conditions allow, Sudan Airways can advise on charter services. Charters suit large-volume exports from China, urgent project materials and cargo of special dimensions. Given the small fleet, availability and price for charters must be quoted individually; Goodhope can put customers in touch with Sudan Airways or local Sudanese charter providers.

Those services are aimed mainly at Chinese export cargo that has arrived at Port Sudan through a third country and needs local movement or a second distribution inland.

The Port Sudan cargo gateway

Port Sudan lies on the Red Sea coast in north-eastern Sudan and is the country's largest port city and international trade gateway. Since Khartoum airport was damaged in 2023, Port Sudan International Airport (PZU) has become the country's main international air cargo entry point.

For Chinese shippers, Port Sudan airport is the final landing gateway for Chinese export cargo entering Sudan; cargo leaving a Chinese gateway completes clearance and collection there, whether it connects through Addis Ababa, Istanbul, Doha or Dubai.

Ground services and cold-chain facilities

Tarco Air, an important ground handler at Port Sudan International Airport, provides professional air cargo storage including cold-chain facilities. Its cold-chain storage meets the needs of perishable food, frozen meat and pharmaceutical vaccines, with cold-chain protection from the cold room to the apron.

Overall capacity at the Port Sudan cargo facilities is affected by the current situation and may not cope with large-scale movements. Customers should allow for the ground receiving capability at Port Sudan; Goodhope can provide the latest ground service information and help optimise the arrangement.

Booking path from China

Since Sudan Airways has no organisation of its own in China, air cargo bookings from China to Sudan are best placed through a professional forwarder. Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight) specializes in air freight from China to Africa and the Middle East and offers the following booking path.

Goodhope has extensive experience in air freight to Africa and long-standing relationships with the substitute carriers above, and can offer competitive rates and stable capacity. Whether the connection is through Addis Ababa, Istanbul, Doha or Dubai, Goodhope provides one-stop forwarding.

Global network

The network diagram below shows the air freight pattern from China through the main connecting hubs to Sudan, Africa and the Middle East. It reflects the main cargo connecting paths from China to Sudan in the current market.