Jakarta. Forest and land fires in parts of Indonesia’s Kalimantan have begun disrupting air travel, with thick smoke affecting operations at Singkawang Airport in West Kalimantan and causing flight delays at Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan.

The Transportation Ministry’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is monitoring smoke conditions and their impact on flight operations at airports across the region.

Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F Laisa said visibility was a key factor in aviation safety. Flights may be delayed, diverted or canceled when visibility falls below the operational limits required for safe flight.

“Flight safety is our top priority. Operators are required to make adjustments when visibility does not meet the requirements. We continue to monitor conditions and coordinate with all stakeholders,” Lukman said Friday.

At Singkawang Airport (SKJ), thick smoke led to the cancellation of several flights.

On Aug. 16, when visibility was around 3,000 meters, a TransNusa flight from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) to Singkawang affected 174 passengers, while the return flight affected 153 passengers.

A Super Air Jet flight from CGK to SKJ affected 180 passengers, while the return flight affected 87 passengers on the same day.

Disruptions occurred again on Aug. 18, when visibility fell to around 2,000 meters. TransNusa flights on the CGK-SKJ and SKJ-CGK routes each affected 174 passengers.

Super Air Jet flights on the same routes each affected 180 passengers.

On Aug. 19, with visibility at around 2,500 meters, TransNusa flights affected 164 passengers on the CGK-SKJ route and 165 passengers on the return route. Super Air Jet flights affected 180 passengers on each route.

Affected passengers were offered full refunds or free flight-date changes for up to seven days, in accordance with each airline’s policies, Lukman said.

Smoke also disrupted operations at Iskandar Airport (PKN) in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, causing delays to several NAM Air flights.

A flight from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport to Pangkalan Bun, originally scheduled to depart at 7 a.m., was delayed until 8:50 a.m. The Pangkalan Bun-Semarang flight was pushed back from 7:30 a.m. to 9:38 a.m., while the Semarang-Pangkalan Bun service was delayed from 10:15 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. The Pangkalan Bun-Surabaya flight was moved from 10:45 a.m. to 12:34 p.m.

The Transportation Ministry is also monitoring several other airports in East, Central and North Kalimantan to anticipate further disruptions caused by smoke.

Lukman urged passengers traveling to or from areas affected by wildfire smoke to check the latest information from airlines and airports.

“We urge people traveling to and from areas affected by smoke to pay attention to the latest information from airlines and airports and follow instructions from officers if flight adjustments are required,” he said.

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