Jakarta. Indonesia has issued 35 permits for foreign-registered aircraft to combat forest fires that have scorched its soil and caused severe transboundary haze.

The Transportation Ministry reported having issued permits for 11 air operator’s certificate (AOC) holders from eight countries. A total of 36 helicopters can join the extinguishing efforts.

“They are coming from Australia, Russia, the US, Ukraine, New Zealand, Laos, Vietnam, and Canada,” the ministry’s director-general for civil aviation Lukman F Laisa was quoted as saying by the state news agency Antara.

The operators include Ersa Eastern Aviation, Genesa Dirgantara, Falcon Patriot Utama, Pegasus Air Service, Whitesky Aviation, and Smart Cakrawala Aviation, among others. Elang Nusantara Air, Intan Angkasa Air Service, Volta Pasifik Aviasi, Dabi Air Nusantara, and Derazona Air Service also received the green light. The government is also fast-tracking the licensing process for other foreign-registered aircraft that wish to join the firefighting effort.

Foreign aircraft granted special permits may be redeployed to other disaster-affected areas.  Operators simply need to notify the civil aviation directorate-general of such repositioning within 24 hours. The department will also keep an eye on the aircraft’s airworthiness, including during instances where aircraft modifications are necessary to support the firefighting operations.

Indonesia’s forest fires have spanned 72,798 hectares, with West Kalimantan being the worst-affected, according to the disaster management agency BNPB. President Prabowo Subianto has ordered permit revocations for companies linked to the forest fires.

Read More: In Photos: Indonesia Forest Fires Blanket Sumatra and Kalimantan in Thick Haze

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