Forest and Land Fires Disrupt 2,775 Flights Since August
The Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) said the number of cancelled and delayed flights had risen because of smoke from forest and land fires. Since August, 2,775 scheduled flights have been affected.
According to ministry data as at 21 October 2026, a total of 2,775 domestic flights had been affected by the fires since 11 August 2026. This was an increase of 171 flights compared with the data as at 19 October 2026.
Of these, 1,170 flights were delayed, 1,544 were cancelled or postponed, 25 were diverted to other airports, six returned to their airport of departure (return to base, or RTB), and 30 had their departure times brought forward.
“Schedule adjustments for flights affected by the fires are made solely for safety reasons. Flights will not be forced to operate while visibility remains below the minimum operational threshold,” said Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation, on Friday (23 October 2026).
Smoke is now affecting East Nusa Tenggara as well as Kalimantan, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Maluku, North Maluku and Papua. The affected airports include Iskandar (Pangkalan Bun), Supadio (Pontianak), Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie (Palu), Sultan Babullah (Ternate), Pattimura (Ambon), Mozes Kilangin (Timika), Rendani (Manokwari), H. Hasan Aroeboesman (Ende), Sultan Thaha (Jambi) and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II (Palembang).
The smoke has reduced visibility around airports, affecting take-offs, landings and aircraft movements. This can result in delays, diversions or cancellations.
International flights have also been affected. The ministry said 14 international flights were cancelled.
Twelve return flights between Singapore and Pontianak were cancelled from 12 to 23 September 2026 because of smoke at Supadio Airport. A further two return flights between Singapore and Palembang were cancelled on 15 October 2026 because of smoke at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport.
As a precaution, several airlines have cancelled 40 flights scheduled for 22–25 October 2026. These include services on routes to and from Pangkalan Bun, Sampit, Ketapang and Singkawang.
Passengers on these routes are advised to contact their airlines promptly for information about rescheduling or refunds.
Separately from the forest and land fires, 26 domestic flights were cancelled because of volcanic ash from Mount Lewotolok and Mount Dukono, bad weather, strong winds, and aircraft maintenance or technical problems.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation continues to urge airport operators in affected areas to remain prepared. Measures include implementing Low Visibility Procedures (LVP) in coordination with AirNav Indonesia and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
The ministry is also issuing Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) containing important flight-operation information and increasing airside readiness. Passenger services are being enhanced through regular flight updates and the provision of face masks.
Water-bombing operations
The ministry said aerial water-bombing operations were continuing. As at 20 October 2026, the firefighting effort had completed 5,320 flight cycles and involved 39 aircraft from 11 operators.
Airports in affected areas are supporting the operation by providing parking areas for aircraft and helicopters, priority flight slots and forest-fire monitoring posts. Other support includes recording water sources and fuel availability.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s Regional Airport Authority Offices I to X are also continuing to co-ordinate with airport operators, AirNav Indonesia, airlines, BMKG and other relevant agencies to ensure that the response complies with aviation safety requirements.
“We continue to urge all parties to improve co-ordination and preparedness. We also ask passengers to follow airport staff instructions if their schedules change,” Lukman added.