Indonesia authorizes 35 foreign aircraft to help fight forest and land fires

Indonesia has cleared 35 foreign aircraft to help battle forest and land fires in Kalimantan, where smoke has covered sections of the Trans-Kalimantan route. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said firefighting had become a top national priority and that the fires needed to be put out quickly.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued the permits after the government determined that Indonesia did not have all the aerial equipment required for the response. The aircraft were brought in by the National Disaster Management Agency, or BNPB, and are being used with operational support from the central government.

“Ultimately, we will always support what is a priority. Fire response has become the top priority at this time, and in the short term it must also be extinguished immediately,” Dudy said after a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives in Jakarta.

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Ultimately, we will always support what is a priority. Fire response has become the top priority at this time, and in the short term it must also be extinguished immediately.

“We need all the infrastructure required for firefighting, including foreign aircraft that Indonesia happens not to have. So we brought them in, BNPB brought them in, then used them for firefighting, and we issued the permits,” he said.

Dudy said all flight permits for the 35 aircraft had been issued, allowing the fleet to operate during the emergency. Most of the aircraft are helicopters, which officials said can support aerial firefighting effectively at affected locations. The permits cover foreign-registered aircraft from Russia to the United States.

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We need all the infrastructure required for firefighting, including foreign aircraft that Indonesia happens not to have. So we brought them in, BNPB brought them in, then used them for firefighting, and we issued the permits.