RIYADH: State-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) said one of its Airbus aircrafts “had an accident” and came under gunfire at Sudan’s Khartoum airport before its scheduled departure to Riyadh on Saturday.
Saudia also said in a statement that its flights to and from Sudan had been suspended until further notice.
The Airbus A330 bound for Saudi Arabia “was exposed to gunfire damage... with guests and crew on board ahead of its scheduled departure to Riyadh,” Saudia said in a statement.
“It has been confirmed that all members of the aircraft's cabin crew have safely arrived at the Saudi Embassy in Sudan,” the statement said.
“Meanwhile aircraft flying over Sudan have returned and all other flights to and from Sudan have been suspended in order to preserve the safety of the guests and crew.”
According to the statement, Saudia’s Emergency Coordination Center is working with members of the cabin crew, ground staff, and the Saudi embassy in Sudan to get more information about the incident.
Clashes between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted on Saturday, with gunfire heard in several parts of the capital Khartoum and witnesses reporting shooting in adjoining cities.
Egyptian national carrier EgyptAir also said it was suspending flights to and from Khartoum for 72 hours following military clashes in the Sudanese capital.
