Skies shut down: Indonesia’s haze chaos grounds 2,600 flights since Aug, Singapore routes hit hard

The prolonged haze from forest and land fires in Indonesia has significantly impacted air travel, leading to the disruption of 2,604 domestic flights between August 11 and October 19, and the cancellation of 14 international flights.

Flight safety remains a priority, with aviation authorities adjusting schedules based on weather conditions and visibility.

Efforts to manage the situation include strengthened safety measures and coordination with meteorological services, as well as ongoing firefighting operations involving aircraft and ground teams.

While the number of high-confidence hotspots has decreased nationwide, air quality continues to be unhealthy in parts of Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Papua.

JAKARTA, Oct 20 — Indonesia’s prolonged haze from forest and land fires has taken a toll on air travel, disrupting 2,604 domestic flights since August and forcing the cancellation of 14 international services.

Civil Aviation Director-General Lukman F. Laisa said the disruptions recorded between August 11 and October 19 involved 1,420 flights cancelled or postponed, 1,129 delayed, 23 diverted to other airports, six returned to their departure airports and 26 rescheduled to depart earlier.

The 14 international cancellations involved 12 flights on Singapore-Pontianak return services between September 12 and 23, and two on Singapore-Palembang return services on October 15, he said.

“Flight safety and security remain our top priorities. Every operational decision must take into account weather conditions, visibility and safety assessments by the relevant authorities.

“Flight schedules may therefore be adjusted if conditions on the ground do not permit safe operations,” he said in a statement.

Lukman said airport operators in affected areas had been instructed to strengthen safety measures, including low-visibility procedures, coordination with air navigation and meteorological authorities and the issuance of aviation notices.

Meanwhile, the Forestry Ministry said in a social media update that the number of high-confidence hotspots nationwide fell to 487 as of 9pm Monday, down from 1,104 hotspots the previous day.

Across six priority provinces, the number of hotspots dropped from 748 to 172. South Sumatra recorded 64, Central Kalimantan 49, South Kalimantan 40, West Kalimantan 12 and Jambi seven, while Riau recorded none.

Despite the overall decline, the ministry said hotspots had increased in South Sumatra and South Kalimantan provinces.

“Air quality remained unhealthy to very unhealthy in parts of Kalimantan, Sumatra and Papua, with hazardous conditions reported in some localities,” it said.

The ministry said 61 aircraft remained on standby for firefighting operations, comprising 44 for water bombing and 17 for aerial patrols and weather modification, while ground teams continued firefighting and peatland cooling operations. — Bernama

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印度尼西亚森林和土地火灾造成的持续烟雾严重影响了航空旅行，导致 8 月 11 日至 10 月 19 日期间 2604 个国内航班中断，14 个国际航班取消。

飞行安全仍然是首要考虑因素，航空当局会根据天气状况和能见度调整航班时刻表。

为控制局势，各方采取了加强安全措施、与气象部门协调以及持续开展涉及飞机和地面队伍的灭火行动等措施。

虽然全国范围内高置信度热点地区的数量有所减少，但加里曼丹、苏门答腊和巴布亚部分地区的空气质量仍然不健康。

雅加达，10 月 20 日——印尼森林和土地火灾造成的持续烟雾对航空旅行造成了严重影响，自 8 月以来，已有 2604 个国内航班受到影响，并迫使 14 个国际航班取消。

民航局局长卢克曼·F·莱萨表示，8 月 11 日至 10 月 19 日期间，航班中断事件共导致 1420 个航班取消或延误，1129 个航班延误，23 个航班改降其他机场，6 个航班返回出发机场，26 个航班改期提前起飞。

他说，14个国际航班取消涉及9月12日至23日期间新加坡至坤甸的12个往返航班，以及10月15日新加坡至巨港的2个往返航班。

“飞行安全始终是我们的首要任务。每一项操作决策都必须考虑到天气状况、能见度以及相关部门的安全评估。”

他在一份声明中表示：“如果地面条件不允许安全运行，航班时刻表可能会进行调整。”

卢克曼表示，已指示受影响地区的机场运营方加强安全措施，包括低能见度程序、与空中导航和气象部门协调以及发布航空通告。

与此同时，林业部在社交媒体上发布最新消息称，截至周一晚上9点，全国高置信度热点地区数量降至487个，低于前一天的1104个热点地区。

在六个重点省份中，疫情热点地区的数量从 748 个减少到 172 个。南苏门答腊记录了 64 个，中加里曼丹 49 个，南加里曼丹 40 个，西加里曼丹 12 个，占碑 7 个，而廖内省没有记录到任何热点地区。

尽管总体呈下降趋势，但该部表示，南苏门答腊省和南加里曼丹省的疫情热点地区有所增加。

报告称：“加里曼丹、苏门答腊和巴布亚部分地区的空气质量仍然不健康到非常不健康，一些地区甚至出现了危险情况。”

该部表示，仍有61架飞机待命执行灭火行动，其中44架用于洒水灭火，17架用于空中巡逻和人工气象作业，同时地面队伍继续开展灭火和泥炭地降温作业。——马新社

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