There is a quiet sense of urgency in the air—or maybe it’s just the hum of the city moving again. Recently, Sudan’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Al-Zein Ibrahim Hussein, sat down with the Director General of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority, Yohannes Abera, in Addis Ababa. They weren’t just exchanging pleasantries. The main goal, at least on paper, was to finally put some life back into the civil aviation ties that have been gathering dust for way too long between the two neighbors.

It feels like a massive hurdle to clear, honestly. During their meeting at the Authority’s headquarters, the conversation shifted toward the nitty-gritty of bilateral agreements that were signed ages ago but never really got the attention they needed. We are talking about trade, moving people across borders, and trying to patch up the frayed edges of the regional economy. It’s all part of the push to get things running again while Sudan struggles to find its footing.

Then there’s the big news. Ambassador Hussein confirmed that institutions are back in Khartoum and, quite importantly, the city is getting back to some form of normalcy. He made it clear that Khartoum International Airport is ready for business—both for the local folks flying domestic routes and the international carriers that have been absent for a while. It’s a huge deal for anyone who’s had to endure those grueling land journeys just to get out of the city or reach a port.

I mean, think about the relief this brings. People have been dealing with so much chaos that the idea of just walking into a terminal and catching a flight sounds almost strange. It’s a shift from the endless road travel to Port Sudan, which has been the only option for so long.

Of course, there is always the question of how quickly these things actually happen on the ground. You have the agreements, the handshakes, and the photos in the papers—Misryoum has been tracking the updates—but the logistics are always the real challenge. Reopening the airspace is a success, sure, but sustaining the momentum? That’s where the real work begins, or maybe it’s already started and we just don’t see it yet. Regardless, it is progress, even if it feels a bit fragile right now.