Khartoum Airport

Not Verified | I had just gotten to Khartoum from Dubai and I really had to use the washroom, I went to the men’s washroom and man oh man. It smelled like 10 people went there and forgot to flush, I didn’t use the washroom, I ran back to my father because there was faeces on the floor of the toilet as well. Outside, I saw a janitor sitting in his chair comfortably and as I do not know how to speak Arabic I just decided to hold it instead of telling someone to clean up. Other than this, the airport was alright but not even close to ideal. A month later, my mother came via the same flight and airport and she had to wait 2-3 hours at the luggage belt for her luggage to arrive.

Not Verified | The most filthy and chaotic airport I have ever visited. Very much corrupt. Toilets are very dirty. For women, impossible work to visit the toilets. I'll never come here again. | De meest smerige en chaotisch airport die ik ooit heb aangedaan. Zeer veel corruptie aanwezig. Toiletten zijn erg smerig. Voor vrouwen onbegonnen werk om de toiletten te bezoeken. Ik kom hier nooit meer.

Calling Khartoum International Airport chaotic would be quite a euphemism. On arrival you line up in front of a few uninterested imigration officers who manage to economize arm and head movement to the point of imperceptibility. Thereafter, you and the other passengers are squeezed through a bottle neck where your hand baggage is x-rayed, presumably really for bottles etc. Baggage carousels are of course not labelled but if you don't mind physical contact with your fellow travelers you will find your suitcase sooner or later. You exit through a further bottle neck, where your baggage tag might be checked, into a small hall featuring some telephone company booths. Now you only have to fight through the crowd of yelling taxi drivers and you are happily in Khartoum. The way out is pretty much the same precedure in inverse order, with the notable exception that – as soon as you approach the crowds in front of the terminal building – friendly helpful porters will materialize seemingly out of thin air and carry your bags through the masses towards the security check and onwards to the check-in counters. We really appreciated this. The rest as above: forms, slow passport stamping, no proper seating in the departure hall, no shops and one filthy cafeteria. Regardless which airline you chose, you will look forward to the boarding call.

Beware of the entry visa - it needs payment of US$ 200 - you cannot use a credit card. Arrival is slow and there is a great deal of checking of documents etc. Departure - entry area is over-crowded and chaotic. The departure board did not work and you have no idea which desk is for your airline until the desk light goes on. Once through passport control etc there is very little at all except for departure gates. There is a cafeteria between passport control and the entry gates - that is the only one. The decor is old and not clean but the coffee was ok. There is nowhere else to have something to eat or drink. Plenty of evidence of poor maintenance eg wires stuffed in plug sockets etc. and dirty toilet facilities. The airport and the security staff were friendly and helpful.

Just getting inside the airport is the biggest problem. Only 1 single entrance guarded by the police. Only allowed in 2 hours before flights so very long queues outside the main door. However once inside it is not too bad once you have paid your exit fee and booked in. The cafeteria is totally useless and so there is nothing to do except sit down and wait for your departure.

Everything that has been written here is still true including the mystery unannounced departure fee (US$20 one time 20 Sudanese pounds another - made more interesting because Sudan is transitioning between dinars and pounds). Flights do leave in the middle of the night (because the middle of the day is unbearably warm) and they do leave late so patience (and flexible travel schedule) is a must. Bureaucracy is still in full effect with multiple X-rays and searches. Courtesy is in rare supply. And yes Sudanese do not queue for anything. You just shove and elbow and get to the front of the crowd any way you can. Even for no reason... the mob getting in the front door resembled a rugby scrum but once inside there were no big crowds and thus no reason to push and shove rather than just wait in line - it's just the way they've always done it. I had the chance to leave via the new International Terminal that opened this month and was pleasantly surprised. Air- conditioned spacious ceilings numerous clean restrooms water/snacks for sale plenty of seats in the departure lounge actual flat-screen TVs showing when flights are (scheduled) to take off. It is dare I say closer to what other international airports are like than it has ever been. That being said if you have reason to travel to Sudan than you probably already know to expect the unexpected.

Transit at Khartoum airport - not for the faint hearted. Living in Kano and needing to get to Nairobi flying via Khartoum is feasible in order to avoid the flight down to Lagos and the long expensive and risly taxi between domestic and international terminals there. However due to the fact that departures and arrivals are two unconnected buildings and transits via Khartoum are a rarity expect a long lonely wait at the arrival section until someone decides to arrange a bus to take you over to departures. When you do arrive expect a hot smelly and uncomfortable wait for your connection. If it is on Sudan Air likely to be late too. Good luck - its a challenge!

I'm a native Sudanese (born and raised in Sudan) who travels a lot around the World. Whenever I visit my beloved Sudan I always feel sad twice. The first time is when I arrive at KRT Arrival Terminal. This terminal was opened in 1986. It was as it is now small with two halls handling maximum of two airplanes at any time. But it was nice clean artfully designed and the staff members seemed to be happy working there. Unfortunately since then nothing has changed improved or fixed (as in some cases); and it's been getting worse and worse every time I see it. The second time I feel sad is when I leave Sudan. Not only because I'm leaving home but because of the waiting battle at KRT Departure Terminal where bureaucracy is at its highest level. This terminal was born more than sixty years ago and never raised. It's still small and always seemed very crowded even with one airplane passengers. You always have to have extra money with you for the unannounced new fees or stamps. Sudan has just signed a peace accord ending more than 22 years of civil war in the South. The oil money has started fueling the economy and a new state of art airport is being planned in the east side of the River Nile in Omdurman. Hopefully this new airport will be opened soon. There's more than ten millions Sudanese who leave outside Sudan. And always willing to visit their family no matter what (sometimes twice a year). The great generous and passionate people of Sudan deserve much more than what they have now.

I fully endorse the comments of Malachy Roscoe regarding Khartoum airport. I have travelled extensively around Africa and elsewhere and it is by far the worst airport I have ever encountered. The only things he does not mention is the endless queuing for each stage of the mindlessly bureaucratic departure process and the frequent sense of panic as you are separated from your baggage during the numerous security checks. All this is compounded by the fact that most passengers and staff are half asleep and extremely irritable due to the fact that many flights depart between 03.00 and 05.00 in the morning. I am sure that Skytrax does not wish to offend countries and governments by announcing a World's Worst Airport award but I am also sure that it would have a great effect in improving airports such as KRT. So please accept this nomination.

12. The obligatory show of your boarding pass on boarding the plane. Don’t expect duty free air conditioned waiting areas business lounges or facilities smiles hello thank you goodbye catering information desk assistance (even from airline representatives) or toilet facilities and you won’t be left disappointed! But once outside the Worlds Worst Airport you will meet the most pleasant courteous and honest people that I have ever personally encountered – Welcome to the real Sudan.