Kosti Airport

The closure was not due to a single event but rather a combination of factors. The primary reasons include:
1. **Economic Non-viability:** As a basic airstrip with an unpaved runway, it likely had high maintenance costs relative to its low traffic.
2. **Obsolescence and Deterioration:** Without consistent funding for upkeep, the dirt/gravel runway deteriorated, becoming unsafe and unusable for most aircraft.
3. **Superseded by a Better Facility:** The nearby Kenana Airport (ICAO: HSKN), which serves the massive Kenana Sugar Company, features a paved runway and superior facilities. Air traffic in the region consolidated to this more modern and reliable airport.

The site is currently abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery confirms the presence of a clearly defined but completely unmaintained and unusable runway. The surface is eroded, overgrown with vegetation, and bisected by vehicle tracks. There are no remaining airport buildings, hangars, or infrastructure. The land is effectively unused and has reverted to open scrubland.

Kosti Airport was a rudimentary regional airstrip. It never served as a hub for major commercial or passenger airlines. Its historical significance lies in its role as a utility airfield. Operations primarily included:
- **General Aviation:** Supporting light aircraft for private or business travel in the region.
- **Agricultural Aviation:** Crucial for crop dusting and aerial surveys of the large-scale agricultural projects in the White Nile state, particularly cotton and sugar cane fields, before the Kenana Airport became dominant.
- **Humanitarian and NGO Flights:** Used by organizations like the United Nations (UN) and other NGOs for delivering aid, supplies, and personnel to this part of Sudan.
- **Government/Military Use:** Potentially used intermittently by light government or military transport and observation aircraft.
The identifier 'SD-0027' is an unofficial code, likely assigned by third-party aviation databases for cataloging purposes, as the airport did not possess an official ICAO code, underscoring its status as a minor landing ground rather than a formal airport.

There are zero known plans or prospects for reopening Kosti Airport. The existence of the superior and operational Kenana Airport (HSKN) a short distance away makes the rehabilitation of this derelict airstrip redundant and economically unjustifiable. Furthermore, the current political instability and ongoing conflict in Sudan preclude any non-essential infrastructure projects, especially for a facility with no clear modern-day purpose.