Forest Fires Disrupt 1,673 Domestic Flights in Indonesia

JAKARTA, JakartaWeekly.com – Forest and land fires disrupted 1,673 scheduled domestic flights in Indonesia between August 11 and October 9, 2026. The disruptions included delays, cancellations or postponements, diversions to other airports, and flights returning to their airports of origin.

Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation, said the ministry continued to monitor flight operations affected by forest and land fires in several parts of Indonesia.

“We will not compromise on safety. If visibility falls below the minimum operational limit, flights may be delayed, cancelled, postponed, or diverted. These measures are part of our efforts to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crews,” Lukman said recently.

Based on monitoring and coordination with Airport Authority Offices, airport operators, air navigation service providers, and airlines, 745 of the 1,673 affected flights were delayed, 907 were cancelled or postponed, 15 were diverted to other airports, and six returned to their airports of departure, a procedure known as return to base (RTB).

In addition to disruptions caused by forest and land fires, 14 flights were cancelled during the same period for other reasons, including volcanic ash from Mount Lewotolok and Mount Dukono, strong winds, and aircraft maintenance requirements.

The fire-related disruptions affected 10 airlines. Citilink Indonesia recorded the highest number of affected flights, at 478, followed by NAM Air with 300, Wings Air with 227, and Super Air Jet with 161.

Surya Mataram recorded 134 affected flights, Batik Air 112, Garuda Indonesia 97, TransNusa 94, Lion Air 41, and Sriwijaya Air 29.

By type of disruption, Wings Air recorded the highest number of cancellations, at 226, followed by Super Air Jet with 158 and Citilink with 115. Citilink recorded the highest number of delays, at 357, followed by NAM Air with 212.

Geographically, the most significant impact was reported at several airports in Kalimantan, including Supadio Airport in Pontianak, Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya, Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, H. Asan Airport in Sampit, Rahadi Oesman Airport in Ketapang, and Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin.

Disruptions were also reported in Sumatra, including at Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport in Palembang. In Papua, affected airports included Rendani Airport in Manokwari, Douw Aturure Airport in Nabire, Torea Airport in Fakfak, Utarom Airport in Kaimana, Babo Airport in Teluk Bintuni, and Ewer Airport in Asmat.

Lukman stressed that airlines are required to provide services and uphold the rights of passengers affected by flight delays and cancellations in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. These rights may include compensation, rescheduling, or a full ticket refund.

“We have instructed Airport Authority Offices to oversee compliance with passenger rights on the ground. We will not hesitate to impose sanctions on airlines that fail to meet their obligations under the applicable regulations,” he said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation urged the public to check the latest flight information through official airline and airport channels before travelling.

“Visibility conditions can change rapidly. We urge the public to always check their flight status before leaving for the airport,” Lukman said.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it would continue to monitor, oversee, and evaluate developments related to forest and land fires while strengthening coordination with all stakeholders to maintain flight safety, security, regularity, and efficiency.