Smog in Indonesia disrupted 2,604 domestic flights — Channel NewsAsia

In Indonesia, haze from forest fires disrupted 2,604 domestic flights from August 11 to October 19. Fourteen international flights between Indonesia and Singapore were also cancelled, Channel NewsAsia reports, citing Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation.

Cancellations and delays

According to Lukman F. Laisa, the ministry’s director general of air transportation, 1,420 domestic flights were cancelled or rescheduled, while another 1,129 were delayed. Due to the haze, 23 aircraft were diverted to other airports, six flights returned to their airports of departure, and 26 flights were rescheduled to an earlier time.

The disruptions affected airports in different parts of the country, including Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, and Sultan Babullah Airport in Ternate, North Maluku province. Airports in Pontianak, West Kalimantan; Pekanbaru, Riau; and Palembang, South Sumatra, were also affected.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Routes to Singapore

From September 12 to 23, 12 flights between Singapore and Pontianak were cancelled. Another two flights between Singapore and Palembang were cancelled on October 15.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation stated that decisions on flights are made taking weather conditions and safety assessments into account. According to Laisa, schedules may be adjusted if local conditions do not allow flights to operate safely. Haze can reduce visibility near airports, affecting takeoffs, landings and aircraft movements.

The effects of the haze were felt beyond Indonesia as well: Malaysian low-cost carrier FireFly resumed flights between Subang in Selangor state and Singapore after a break of about one week.