Private jet to Sudan
Whether a private aircraft can land in Sudan depends on the status of the airspace, the approval of an operator, war-risk insurance for the route and the Sudanese landing and entry permits. EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, has issued a conflict zone bulletin for the Khartoum flight information region that advises operators under its rules not to fly there at any level, and European operators and their insurers follow it. Khartoum and Port Sudan airports handle a limited number of scheduled flights, and both have had temporary closures at short notice.
We therefore do not quote charters to Sudanese airports. The private flight ends at one of three regularly served airports close by: Cairo, the shortest and lowest-priced sector from Europe, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, about 320 km across the Red Sea from Port Sudan, or Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, with flights to both Sudanese airports. Every request that names a Sudanese airport is still checked on the date, and you get a clear answer either way.
Tell us the final destination in Sudan, the dates and the number of travellers, and a consultant replies with the most practical airport, the aircraft and the price.
Where the private flight ends
| Purpose | Airport for the private flight | Distance in a straight line |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price and shortest flight from Europe | Cairo (CAI) | About 1,330 km to Port Sudan, 1,620 km to Khartoum |
| Closest point to Port Sudan | Jeddah (JED) | About 320 km to Port Sudan, 970 km to Khartoum |
| Widest choice of onward flights to Khartoum | Addis Ababa (ADD) | About 1,000 km to Khartoum, 1,180 km to Port Sudan |
| Meetings outside the country | Cairo, Jeddah or Addis Ababa | No onward flight needed |
From these airports the onward journey is a scheduled flight run by other airlines, booked and insured by the traveller. EgyptAir, Sudan Airways and Ethiopian Airlines have served Port Sudan and Khartoum from Cairo, Jeddah and Addis Ababa, but schedules change or stop at short notice, so a flexible ticket and a spare day belong in the plan. We do not arrange overland crossings.
Flight prices
A price in the tables is for the whole aircraft on a one-way flight, with the aircraft positioned near the departure airport; handling, airport charges, permits and passenger taxes come on top, and the onward journey into Sudan is not included. Times are for the first aircraft in each row on a direct track.
To Cairo
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Midsize jet Praetor 500 |
Super midsize Challenger 350 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Cairo | 3,541 km | 4:56 h | EUR 30,000 | EUR 38,000 | EUR 49,000 |
| Amsterdam - Cairo | 3,288 km | 4:37 h | EUR 29,000 | EUR 36,000 | EUR 47,000 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Cairo | 3,215 km | 4:31 h | EUR 29,000 | EUR 35,000 | EUR 47,000 |
| Frankfurt - Cairo | 2,922 km | 4:09 h | EUR 27,000 | EUR 33,000 | EUR 44,000 |
| Geneva - Cairo | 2,825 km | 4:02 h | EUR 27,000 | EUR 33,000 | EUR 43,000 |
| Zurich - Cairo | 2,745 km | 3:56 h | EUR 26,000 | EUR 32,000 | EUR 43,000 |
| Munich - Cairo | 2,624 km | 3:47 h | EUR 25,000 | EUR 31,000 | EUR 41,000 |
| Milan Linate - Cairo | 2,570 km | 3:43 h | EUR 25,000 | EUR 31,000 | EUR 41,000 |
| Vienna - Cairo | 2,366 km | 3:27 h | EUR 24,000 | EUR 29,000 | EUR 39,000 |
| Rome - Cairo | 2,126 km | 3:09 h | EUR 22,000 | EUR 27,000 | EUR 37,000 |
Rome - Cairo takes 3:09 h and costs EUR 22,000 in a Praetor 500; Vienna costs EUR 24,000, Munich and Milan EUR 25,000. London - Cairo is EUR 30,000 and 4:56 h. A Challenger 350 offers a wider cabin and more baggage space for EUR 27,000 to EUR 38,000, and a Challenger 650 seats up to twelve.
To Jeddah
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Midsize jet Praetor 500 |
Super midsize Challenger 350 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Jeddah | 4,757 km | 6:27 h | EUR 37,000 | EUR 46,000 | EUR 59,000 |
| Paris Le Bourget - Jeddah | 4,431 km | 6:02 h | EUR 35,000 | EUR 44,000 | EUR 56,000 |
| Geneva - Jeddah | 4,040 km | 5:33 h | EUR 33,000 | EUR 41,000 | EUR 53,000 |
| Milan Linate - Jeddah | 3,786 km | 5:14 h | EUR 31,000 | EUR 39,000 | EUR 51,000 |
| Vienna - Jeddah | 3,560 km | 4:57 h | EUR 30,000 | EUR 38,000 | EUR 49,000 |
To Addis Ababa
| Route | Distance | Flight time | Super midsize Praetor 600 |
Heavy jet Challenger 650 |
Long range Falcon 7X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Farnborough - Addis Ababa | 5,924 km | 7:54 h | EUR 54,000 | EUR 68,000 | EUR 91,000 |
| Frankfurt - Addis Ababa | 5,349 km | 7:11 h | EUR 49,000 | EUR 63,000 | EUR 83,000 |
| Nice - Addis Ababa | 4,919 km | 6:39 h | EUR 46,000 | EUR 60,000 | EUR 78,000 |
Jeddah costs EUR 30,000 from Vienna and EUR 37,000 from London in a Praetor 500, with 6:27 h in the air from London. Addis Ababa is the longest sector: EUR 46,000 from Nice and EUR 54,000 from London in a Praetor 600, 7:54 h non-stop. Crews reach Addis Ababa over Egypt and the Red Sea instead of crossing Sudan, so the flight plan for the date can be longer than the table time.
Passenger taxes come from the country of departure. France charges a solidarity tax per passenger that rises with distance, about EUR 1,015 on Paris - Cairo compared with about EUR 420 within Europe; Italy charges EUR 200 per passenger beyond 1,500 km, which covers Rome or Milan - Cairo. Austria charges EUR 12 per passenger, and Germany and the UK have departure taxes; in the UK aircraft under 5.7 t pay no APD and the higher rate applies only from 20 t with fewer than 19 seats. Everything is itemised in the quote.
Business jet price per flight hour
Two trips worked through
Price per person
Per passenger, depending on how many travel:
| Route | Aircraft | Whole aircraft | 2 passengers | 4 passengers | 6 passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rome - Cairo | Praetor 500 | EUR 22,000 | EUR 11,000 | EUR 5,500 | EUR 3,700 |
| Vienna - Cairo | Praetor 500 | EUR 24,000 | EUR 12,000 | EUR 6,000 | EUR 4,000 |
| London Farnborough - Cairo | Challenger 350 | EUR 38,000 | EUR 19,000 | EUR 9,500 | EUR 6,300 |
Calculator
For a quick estimate, enter Cairo, Jeddah or Addis Ababa in the calculator and write the Sudanese town you are heading for in the comment.
Airports in Sudan and around it
The two Sudanese airports appear here for orientation only: while the EASA bulletin applies, they are not quoted.
| Airport | Codes | Longest runway | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port Sudan | PZU / HSPN | 2,499 m | About 20 km south of the city; main airport for scheduled flights, limited schedule |
| Khartoum | KRT / HSSK | 2,972 m | The capital; closed for long periods, limited schedule since reopening |
| Cairo International | CAI / HECA | 4,000 m | Open 24 hours, slots and handling compulsory, several FBOs |
| Jeddah King Abdulaziz | JED / OEJN | 4,000 m | Open 24 hours, customs; busy in the pilgrimage weeks |
| Addis Ababa Bole | ADD / HAAB | 3,800 m | At 2,334 m elevation; handling compulsory, VIP terminal for state flights |
Permit lead times: Egypt at least 72 hours, Ethiopia about 72 working hours, Saudi Arabia about three working days, counted from Sunday to Thursday. When the trip combines two of these countries, the longest lead time sets the date. Whether the aircraft from Europe may fly a leg between two of them, or a local operator flies it, is confirmed for each trip.
Aircraft for these distances
- Cairo: a midsize jet with long range, such as the Praetor 500, or a Challenger 350 flies non-stop from every hub in the table.
- Jeddah: the same aircraft, non-stop from London in about six and a half hours.
- Addis Ababa: a super midsize Praetor 600 from western Europe; for twelve passengers a heavy jet such as the Challenger 650.
- More range in hand or a full cabin: a long-range jet such as the Falcon 7X.
The year in the region
Sudan is hottest from April to June, and the rainy season in the centre and south runs from July to September. Cairo is pleasant from October to April and hot in summer; Jeddah is hot and humid from May to September, and the pilgrimage weeks fill its slots. Addis Ababa has its main rains from June to September. Empty Legs are most frequent between Cairo and Europe, especially in winter, when Egypt's resorts are busy.
Ramadan, the Eids and the pilgrimage move about eleven days earlier every year; offices work shorter hours during Ramadan, and Jeddah is under the heaviest pressure in the pilgrimage weeks.
Visas and documents
Pets
A dog or cat can fly in the cabin to Cairo or Addis Ababa with the operator's approval; we do not plan animals onward. Egypt asks for a rabies vaccination given more than one month and less than twelve months before travel and a health certificate from a government vet. For Ethiopia the animal needs an import permit from the agriculture ministry and must arrive through Bole. Saudi Arabia admits dogs only in narrow cases, such as guide dogs, so Jeddah is rarely used with a pet.
Empty Legs
Aircraft that take passengers to Cairo often return to Europe empty, most of all in the Egyptian winter season, so Cairo gives the best chance of a match. From Jeddah and Addis Ababa Empty Legs are rare. Tell us the route and the dates you could travel at empty-legs@jets.flights.
How the booking goes
- Send the final destination, the dates and the number of travellers.
- We choose Cairo, Jeddah or Addis Ababa and check the permit lead times; any request for a Sudanese airport is checked against the bulletin.
- We send two or three aircraft with the operator, the model and the price.
- You sign the contract with the operator and pay by bank transfer or card; we file the permits.
- Shortly before the flight we reconfirm the slot, the handler and the airspace notices in force for the route.
Questions about private flights and Sudan
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- Can you fly us to Khartoum or Port Sudan?
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Not as a charter quote. EASA advises operators under its rules not to fly in the Khartoum flight information region at any level, and operators and insurers follow it. We fly to Cairo, Jeddah or Addis Ababa and check any request for Sudan on the date.
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- Which airport is closest to Sudan?
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Jeddah, about 320 km from Port Sudan across the Red Sea. Cairo is the closest of the three to Europe.
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- What does the flight cost?
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From EUR 22,000 one way for the whole aircraft, Rome - Cairo in a Praetor 500. London - Cairo costs EUR 30,000 and London - Jeddah EUR 37,000 in the same aircraft, plus handling, charges and taxes.
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- How long does the flight take?
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From London 4:56 h to Cairo and 6:27 h to Jeddah in a Praetor 500, and 7:54 h to Addis Ababa in a Praetor 600. Sudan is 2 hours ahead of London in winter and 1 hour in summer.
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- Do I need a visa?
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Yes, for Sudan through a Sudanese embassy. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia issue e-visas to EU and UK citizens, and Egypt also offers a visa on arrival.
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- How do people continue into Sudan?
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By scheduled flights that other airlines operate, booked and insured by the traveller. Schedules change at short notice, so allow a spare day.
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- Can our dog come?
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To Cairo or Addis Ababa, yes, with the operator's approval and the import papers. Saudi Arabia admits dogs only in narrow cases, and we do not plan animals onward into Sudan.
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- How early should we book?
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At least four working days: Egypt asks for 72 hours for the permit, Ethiopia about 72 working hours and Saudi Arabia about three working days.
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