Kalimantan Haze Disrupts Flights, Causes Cancellations

Haze from widespread forest and land fires across Kalimantan is severely impacting air travel, leading to flight disruptions, including cancellations and diversions, at multiple airports. The reduced visibility poses a significant safety risk for aviation operations.

Singkawang Airport in West Kalimantan was particularly affected, with several flights canceled on August 16, 18, and 19. Visibility dropped to around 3,000 meters on August 16, affecting TransNusa and Super Air Jet flights between Soekarno-Hatta and Singkawang, carrying hundreds of passengers. The situation worsened on August 18 with visibility at 2,000 meters, again impacting the same airlines and routes. On August 19, visibility improved slightly to 2,500 meters, but cancellations continued for TransNusa flights.

Passengers affected by these disruptions were provided with options for a full refund or complimentary rescheduling of their flights up to seven days later, in line with airline policies. Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Air Transportation, emphasized that flight safety is paramount and operators must adjust operations when visibility conditions do not meet requirements. The ministry is continuously monitoring the situation and coordinating with all stakeholders.

Monitoring is also being conducted at seven airports in East Kalimantan, with most operating normally. In Central Kalimantan, several airports are under observation, though some, like Tumbang Samba and Puruk Cahu Special Airport, remain operational. Haze also caused delays at Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, with flights experiencing significant schedule changes throughout the morning. In North Kalimantan, the Ministry of Transportation is also assessing the impact of the haze on air travel.

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Flight safety is paramount. Operators must make adjustments if visibility conditions do not meet the requirements. We continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with all stakeholders.