Sudan Airways
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox airline
Sudan Airways (Template:Langx) is the national airline of Sudan,<ref name="Sudan Airways problems “unsolvable”, says former official" /> headquartered in Khartoum. Since 2012, the company has been fully owned by the Government of Sudan.<ref name="Sudan Dreams Big With New Airports"/>
One of the oldest African carriers,<ref name="Sudan Airways problems “unsolvable”, says former official" /> it was formed in Template:Start date and started scheduled operations in July the following year. Template:As of, Sudan Airways had 1,700 employees.<ref name="Sanctions are hell" /> The airline has been included in the list of air carriers banned in the European Union Template:As of.
History
An Air Advisory Board was formed in 1945 to assess on the feasibility of starting air services in the country, recommending to set up an air company with the aid of foreign carriers that would provide their technical and management expertise. Initially, the new airline would restrict its operations to on-demand services.Template:Sfnp Sudan Airways was formed in February 1946 with the technical assistance of Airwork Limited, and the commercial support of Sudan Railways.<ref name="Profile" />Template:Rp
The initial fleet was composed of four de Havilland Doves, with test flights commencing in Template:Start date.Template:Sfnp The first scheduled operations were launched in July the same year,<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp with the first timetable being published in September.Template:Sfnp Khartoum became Sudan Airways' hub from the very beginning. From there, the carrier started flying four different services all across the Sudanese territory, as well as to the not yet independent Eritrea. The first routes the company flew linked Khartoum with Asmara, Atbara, El Fashir, El Obeid, Geneina, Juba, Kassala, Malakal, and Port Sudan, all of them served by de Havilland Dove aircraft.<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp An Airwork Viking flew the Blackbushe–Khartoum long-haul route. A fifth Dove was ordered in Template:Start date. That year, a route to Wadi Halfa was launched. Sudan Railways withdrew from the airline's management in 1949; the government and Airwork continued running the company thereafter.Template:Sfnp
Kassala and Asmara were removed from the airlineTemplate:'s list of destinations in 1952. In February that year, a fifth Dove was phased in. There was such a demand for flying that the toilets on the Doves were removed to make room for more seats, with these aircraft even carrying passengers in the cockpit. This prompted the airline to look for newer and bigger airliners, with the Douglas DC-3 and the de Havilland Heron being under consideration.Template:Sfnp Flown with Austers and Doves, by Template:Start date the carrier was operating a domestic network that was Template:Convert long.<ref name="Flight1953-312" /> That year, the carrier incorporated the first four DC-3s into the fleet.Template:Sfnp The boost in capacity allowed the company to carry both passengers and mail, to introduce new regular routes to Cairo and Wad Medani,<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp and to carry out aerial survey tasks for the government.Template:Sfnp Also in 1953, the Chadian city of Abeche was made part of the route network, whereas regular flights to Jeddah were launched in Template:Start date.Template:Sfnp Services to Athens commenced in the mid-1950s. Two more DC-3s were bought in 1956.Template:Sfnp In 1958, after taking office, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces decided to expand the carrier's international operations.<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp A seventh DC-3 was incorporated into the fleet that year.Template:Sfnp Long-haul services started in June 1959 between Khartoum and London via Rome –the so-called "Blue Nile" service<ref name="FI1962-747" />– using a Viscount 831 that was acquired new earlier that year in a joint venture with British United Airways.<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp Beirut was added to the destination network in November the same year.Template:Sfnp Also in 1959, the airline joined IATA.<ref name="Flight1959-805" />
By Template:Start date, the fleet included seven DC-3s, four Doves, and a Viscount 831.<ref name="Flight 1960-511" /> The latter aircraft was used to resume operations to Asmara in Template:Start date.Template:Sfnp Aimed at replacing the DC-3s and the Doves in domestic and regional routes,<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp<ref name="FI1962-159" /> the airline acquired three Fokker F27s in October that year;Template:Sfnp these were delivered in early 1962,<ref name="FI1962-121" /> with the first of them being deployed on domestic routes, making Sudan Airways the first African airline in operating the type.Template:Sfnp Also in 1962, two Comet 4Cs were bought in May,<ref name="FI1962-747" /> intended as a replacement of the Viscount service;<ref name="FI1962-227" /> Sudan Airways had considered the acquisition of two jets for deployment on the ″Blue Nile″ route since the frequency on the service was increased to twice weekly in 1961.Template:Sfnp The airline took delivery of the first Comet in Template:Start date,<ref name="FI1962-813" /> and the second aircraft of the type was delivered a month later.Template:Sfnp Comets commenced flying the ″Blue Nile″ service in Template:Start date; that year, the frequency was again increased to operate three times a week. The ″Blue Nile″ service first served Frankfurt in Template:Start date.Template:Sfnp Also in Template:YEAR, a fourth Friendship was ordered.<ref name="FI1963-462" /> In 1967, the company became a corporation run on a commercial basis;<ref name="FI1973-769/770" />Template:Rp also, three Twin Otters were ordered as a replacement for the DC-3s.Template:Sfnp The first of these aircraft joined the fleet in 1968;<ref name="FI1973-769/770"/>Template:Rp the second aircraft of the type delivered to the company was the Template:Ordinal produced by de Havilland Canada.<ref name="FI1968-327" />
By Template:Start date, the route network totaled Template:Convert, with international destinations including Aden, Addis Ababa, Asmara, Athens, Beirut, Cairo, Entebbe, Fort Lamy, Jeddah, London, Nairobi and Rome. At this time, the fleet was composed of two Comet 4Cs, three DC-3s, four F-27s and three Twin Otters.<ref name="FI1970-502" /> The last passenger DC-3 left the fleet in 1971.Template:Sfnp In 1972, the Comets were put on sale and were replaced by two Boeing 707s leased from British Midland.Template:Sfnp<ref name="FI1973-914" /><ref name="FI1972-768" /> Sudan Airways ordered two Boeing 707-320Cs in 1973, for delivery in June and Template:Start date.<ref name="FI1973-914" /> Pending delivery of two Boeing 737-200Cs ordered a year earlier,<ref name="FI1974-516" /> the two Boeing 707-320Cs were part of the fleet by Template:Start date, along with five F-27s, three Twin Otters, and a single DC-3.<ref name="FI1975-503" />
The company had 2,362 employees at Template:Start date, with an aircraft park that included one Airbus A300-600, one Airbus A300-600R, three Boeing 707-320Cs, one Boeing 727-200, one Boeing 737-200C and one Fokker F27-600. By this time, the airline provided scheduled services to Abu Dhabi, Addis Ababa, Al Ain, Amman, Bangui, Cairo, Damascus, Doha, Dongola, Dubai, El Fasher, El Obeid, Eldebba, Geneina, Istanbul, Jeddah, Juba, Kano, Lagos, London, Malakal, Merowe, Muscat, Ndjamena, Niamey, Nyala, Paris, Port Sudan, Riyadh, Sanaa, Sharjah, Tripoli, Wadi Halfa and Wau.<ref name="FI2000-105" /> In 2007, the Sudanese government privatised the airline, maintaining only a 30% stake of the national carrier.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Sudanese government sells 70% of flag carrier"/> The Kuwaiti private group that owned 49% of the shares since then sold its stake back to the state in 2011.<ref name="Sanctions are hell"/>
In the wake of the crash of Flight 109, in Template:Start date the airline was grounded following an indefinite suspension of its operating certificate by the Sudanese government,<ref name="Other News - 06/23/2008"/><ref name="Sudan grounds its national airline" /><ref name="Sudan crash airline is grounded"/> despite the fact that it was stated as not being in connection with the accident.<ref name="Sudan grounds national airline" /> This decision was later rolled back, and the company was allowed to resume operations.<ref name="Reprieve for Sudan Air" /><ref name="Sudan lifts suspension on national carrier for two weeks" />
In 2017, it was announced that the Sudanese President Omar al Bashir signed several cooperation agreements with King Salman of Saudi Arabia during a visit to Riyadh. Among the agreements was a pledge from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation to restructure SAR22.5 million riyals (US$6 million) worth of debt. In addition, provisions for fleet renewal at Sudan Airways were also made. It was reported Saudi Arabia may equip the Sudan Airways with fourteen aircraft including three B777s, three A320-200s, six Embraer Regional Jets, and two A330-200s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following the lifting of American sanctions in 2017, Sudan Airways announced plans to revive its fleet.<ref name="veconomist" >Template:Cite news</ref>
EU ban
In late Template:Start date, all Sudan-based airlines were banned by the European Union (EU) from flying into or within the member states due to safety concerns.<ref name="New EU blacklist features Iran Air, Philippine carriers"/><ref name="EU bans all airlines from Sudan over safety concerns"/> All the subsequent released ban lists included all airlines with an operator's certificate issued in Sudan as banned to operate into the member countries of the EU.
Corporate affairs
Key people
Template:As of, the CEO position was held by Yasir Timo.<ref name="Ethiopia: Challenging Times for African Airlines" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Headquarters
Sudan Airways has its headquarters in Khartoum.<ref>Template:Cite web </ref><ref name="NOTICE_ST-ATB" />
Destinations
Following is a list of destinations served by Sudan Airways, Template:As of.<ref name="Plan your flight">Template:Cite web</ref> Terminated destinations are also shown.
Fleet
Current
Template:As of, Sudan Airways operates the following aircraft:<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A320-200 | 1 | — | 180Template:Cn | |
| Boeing 737-300 | 1 | — | 138Template:Cn | |
| Total | 2 | 0 | ||
Retired
Template:Multiple image The company has flown the following aircraft throughout its history:<ref name="ATDB"/> Template:Div col
- Airbus A300B4-600R<ref name="NOTICE_ST-ATB">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Sudan Airways puts sole A300-600 up for sale" />
- Airbus A300-600<ref name="FI2000-105" />
- Airbus A300-600F
- Airbus A310-200
- Airbus A310-300
- Antonov An-24T
- Antonov An-24RV
- Antonov An-74TK
- Boeing 707-120B
- Boeing 707-320B
- Boeing 707-320C
- Boeing 720-020
- Boeing 727-200
- Boeing 737-200
- Boeing 737-200C
- Boeing 737-400
- Boeing 737-500<ref name="chaviation">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Boeing 757-200
- C-130H
- Comet 4C<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp
- de Havilland Dove<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp
- DHC-6 Twin Otter<ref>Klee, Ulrich & Bucher, Frank et al. jp airline-fleets international 1999/2000. Zürich-Airport, 1999, p. 592.</ref><ref name="FI1973-769/770"/>Template:Rp
- Douglas C-47B
- Douglas DC-8-30
- Douglas DC-8-60
- DC-9-80
- Fokker F27-200
- Fokker F27-400
- Fokker F27-500
- Fokker F27-600
- Fokker 50<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ilyushin Il-18D
- Ilyushin Il-18V
- L-1011-1
- L-1011-500
- McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30
- Viscount 800<ref name="Profile"/>Template:Rp
- Yak-42D
Accidents and incidents
According to Aviation Safety Network, Template:As of Sudan Airways records 21 accidents/incidents, 7 of them leading to fatalities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The worst accident experienced by the company took place in Template:Start date near Port Sudan, when 117 people lost their lives on an emergency landing. All events included in the list below carried with the hull-loss of the aircraft involved.
| Date | Location | Aircraft | Tail number | Aircraft damage | Fatalities | Description | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | Template:Nowrap | ST-AAM | W/O | Template:Nts/2 | During a training flight, lost height on approach and hit the roof of two houses and a truck before crashing. The instructor was killed. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKapoeta | F27-200 | ST-AAY | W/O | Template:Nts/42 | The aircraft was flying a domestic scheduled Khartoum–Malakal passenger service when it ran out of fuel, sinking into trees following a forced landing near Kapoeta. After the accident, the survivors were held captive by tribesmen. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconEl Obeid | F27-400M | ST-ADX | W/O | Template:Nts/4 | Overran the runway on landing at El Obeid Airport with a feathered propeller. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:Nowrap | Twin Otter 100 | ST-ADB | W/O | Template:Nts/6 | Crashed during an inspection flight. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:Nowrap | F27-400M | ST-ADW | W/O | Template:Nts/39 | The nosewheel collapsed on takeoff from El Fasher Airport. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | Template:Nowrap | ST-AIM | W/O | Template:Nts/11 | The aircraft that was on final approach to Khartoum Airport inbound from Jeddah, when it landed in the River Nile after the pilots mistook the moonlit waters with the adjacent runway. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconMerowe | F27-200 | ST-AAS | W/O | Template:Nts/20 | Resulted damaged beyond repair upon landing at Merowe Airport. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconEl Debba | F27-200 | ST-AAR | W/O | Template:Nts/31 | Hard landing at El Debba Airport. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconMalakal | F27-400M | ST-ADY | W/O | Template:Nts/60 | The airplane was en route a domestic scheduled Malakal–Khartoum passenger service, when it was shot down with an SA-7 near Malakal by SPLA rebels. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref name="Experts Fear Looted Libyan Arms May Find Way to Terrorists" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | F27-200 | ST-AAA | W/O | Template:Nts | The aircraft made a belly landing at Khartoum Airport, after it was unable to get fully airborne during take-off. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | Boeing 737-200C | ST-AFL | W/O | Template:Nts | Suffered a hydraulic malfunction shortly after take-off that prompted the pilots to return to the airport of departure. A tyre burst occurred upon landing. The aircraft overran the runway and came to rest in a ditch. Due to operate a scheduled domestic Khartoum–Dongola passenger service. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | F27-600 | ST-SSD | W/O | Template:Nts/2 | Tyres burst after a rejected take-off at Khartoum Airport during a training flight, making the aircraft to drift to the right. The landing gears resulted damaged when the aircraft skidded off the runway. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconPort Sudan | Boeing 737-200C | ST-AFK | W/O | Template:Nts/117 | Due to operate a domestic scheduled Port Sudan–Khartoum service as Flight 139. Some 15 minutes after take-off, one of the engines lost power and prompted the crew to return to make an emergency landing. However, the runway was missed and the aircraft descended until it hit the ground, Template:Convert east of Port Sudan. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconKhartoum | A310-300 | ST-ATN | W/O | Template:Nts/214 | The aircraft was operating an international scheduled Amman–Damascus–Khartoum passenger service as Flight 109, when it crashed and subsequently burst into flames upon landing amid stormy weather at the final destination airport, after it veered off the runway. The plane had 214 people on board; despite most of them managed to escape from the burning aircraft, the accident claimed 30 lives. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref> |
| Template:Dts | Template:FlagiconSharjah | Boeing 707-320C | ST-AKW | W/O | Template:Nts/6 | Crashed into a desert zone Template:Convert northwest of Sharjah International Airport immediately after take-off. The aircraft had been leased by Sudan Airways from Azza Transport, and was due to operate a scheduled Sharjah–Khartoum freighter service as Flight 2241. | <ref>Template:ASN accident</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Un avion s'écrase aux Emirats: 6 morts" /> |