Minister of Forestry's Flight Fails to Land in Pontianak Due to Haze
The aircraft carrying the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, and his delegation failed to land at Supadio Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. The cause was thick haze resulting from forest and land fires (karhutla) currently enveloping the province.
“In our location, his arrival was cancelled because of the haze, and visibility was only 100 metres. Consequently, the aircraft did not dare to land,” said the Deputy Governor of West Kalimantan, Krisantus Kurniawan, in Pontianak on Thursday (3/9/2026).
With visibility reduced to approximately 100 metres, the Minister’s flight was unable to land, forcing the postponement of his scheduled visit to West Kalimantan.
Deputy Governor Krisantus stated that if weather and visibility conditions improve, efforts will be made to ensure Minister Raja Juli Antoni can still attend the prepared agenda in West Kalimantan, or at the latest, reschedule for the following day.
During the visit to West Kalimantan, the Minister was scheduled to inspect three locations affected by forest and land fires, namely the Limbung area, the vicinity of SMA Negeri 4, and Rasau Jaya.
Following the field inspections, the agenda was to continue with a coordination meeting involving various stakeholders involved in managing forest and land fires in West Kalimantan.
Krisantus noted that the government is also preparing support in the form of equipment to strengthen fire management, including water pumps and various other supplies from the Ministry of Forestry.
“The plan includes assistance with water pumps and equipment from the Ministry of Forestry. Additionally, food, drinks, medicines, masks, and other necessities will be provided,” he said.
He added that taking action against companies suspected of involvement in forest fires is not a new occurrence in West Kalimantan. In 2019, several companies were sanctioned, with some cases even resulting in the revocation of their permits.
“It has happened before. In 2019, many cases were followed up, leading to the revocation of permits,” he emphasised.
The West Kalimantan Provincial Government, alongside the central government and relevant agencies, continues to strengthen coordination to control forest and land fires, especially amidst conditions where haze has disrupted flight activities and reduced visibility in several areas.
These conditions demonstrate that the haze is not only impacting public health and community activities but is also beginning to hinder mobility and government agendas regarding direct field interventions.