Full Analysis Summary
Khartoum airport reopening
Khartoum International Airport reopened to commercial passenger service on Sunday after almost three years of shutdown caused by the April 2023 fighting, marking a milestone in efforts to restore air links to Sudan’s capital.
Bernama reports that a Sudan Airways flight from Port Sudan carried 160 passengers and that the airport has reopened for domestic service as the first phase of a gradual return of regional and international flights.
The airport has capacity to handle up to four aircraft at once.
Al-Jazeera likewise reports the airport resumed flights after more than three years and notes the restart was conducted under strict technical and security measures.
Activists recorded visible public joy at arrivals.
The NST Online record for this story contains only a source credit line and requests the full article or link, indicating incomplete cross-publication content for this item.
Coverage Differences
Contradiction (operator identification)
Bernama identifies the first flight as a Sudan Airways service from Port Sudan, while Al-Jazeera describes the first plane as operated by Sudanese carrier Sudanair, creating a direct discrepancy over which airline operated the inaugural commercial service.
Tone and emphasis
Bernama focuses on administrative details (passenger numbers, phased reopening, capacity), while Al-Jazeera emphasizes security measures and the social, symbolic reaction (public ululation and celebrations) to the restart.
Sudan airport reopening
Officials characterize the reopening as a phased, cautious process focused first on domestic connections and technical checks.
Bernama cites the Sudan Airports Company saying the airport is reopening for domestic service and can handle up to four aircraft at once.
The company frames this as part of a gradual plan to resume regional and international flights after completing technical and administrative work.
Al-Jazeera quotes Airport Director-General Sir al-Khatim Babiker Al-Tayeb saying the facility is reopening at limited capacity and stressing strict technical and security measures for the restart.
NST Online offers little original reporting and directs readers to Bernama for the full text.
Coverage Differences
Narrative focus
Bernama presents the reopening in bureaucratic and logistical terms (capacity, phased plan), while Al-Jazeera also stresses security procedures and quotes a named airport official, giving more on-the-ground operational detail and human perspective.
Airport reopening amid Sudan conflict
Reports place the shutdown and damage in the context of the April 2023 conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Bernama notes Khartoum International Airport was heavily damaged early in the 2023 conflict when RSF attacked.
Bernama adds that SAF regained full control of Khartoum State in May 2024.
Bernama situates the reopening amid a broader humanitarian toll, saying the conflict has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Al-Jazeera similarly dates the closure to the April 2023 fighting and frames the reopening as symbolically reconnecting Sudan with the world.
NST Online provides no independent coverage in this instance and points instead to Bernama’s material.
Coverage Differences
Detail depth
Bernama provides specific historical and humanitarian detail (damage, timeline of control, casualty and displacement figures), while Al-Jazeera stresses the closure's duration and the symbolic social response; NST lacks substantive reporting and redirects readers to Bernama.
Operational limits and reporting discrepancies
Sources present both practical caveats and social significance about the reopening.
Bernama says Port Sudan remains the country’s only international hub for now and several domestic airports are operating only on a limited basis.
Al-Jazeera frames the reopening as a symbolic step toward restoring normal life and reconnecting Sudan with the world.
Together they indicate a reopening that is operationally limited but publicly significant.
The sources disagree on at least one concrete fact: the airline operator of the inaugural flight is reported as Sudan Airways by Bernama and Sudanair by Al-Jazeera, and NST Online’s lack of article text means some cross-publication verification is incomplete.
Because of these discrepancies and the incomplete NST entry, certain operational details, such as independent confirmation of the carrier and passenger manifests, remain ambiguous and should not be assumed.
Coverage Differences
Missed information / verification gap
NST Online does not provide the article text and thus misses independent verification; Bernama and Al-Jazeera provide overlapping but not fully consistent operational details (airline operator and passenger count), leaving some facts ambiguous.