Indonesia forest fire haze disrupts air traffic

A member of Region Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) from South Sumatra extinguishes a fire near a residential area at Simpang Pelabuhan village in South Sumatra, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The ongoing forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have affected the operation of 16 airports, leading to flight delays and cancellations due to low visibility caused by the thick haze, a senior official at the Indonesian Transportation Ministry said on Tuesday.

Transportation Ministry Spokesperson Julius Adravida Barata said that the haze has lowered visibility in those airports, forcing planes to reschedule or even cancel their flights for safety reason.

"Visibility was significantly affected, making it difficult for planes to land or take off," Barata said in a statement.

Airports in Kalimantan influenced by the haze include Melalan Melak Airport in Kutai (East Kalimantan), the Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan), the Beringin Airport in Muara Teweh, the Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, the Haji Asan Airport in Sampit (Central Kalimantan), the Supadio Airport in Kubu Raya, Pangsuma Airport in Putussibau, the Susilo Airport in Sintang, the Rahadi Usman Airport in Ketapang, the Tjilik Riwut Airport in Pontianak (West Kalimantan) and the Atty Besing Airport in Malinau (East Kalimantan).

In Sumatra, the airports that saw severe impacts from the haze were Dr. Ferdinand Lumban Tobing Airport in Sibolga, the Silangit Airport in North Tapanuli (North Sumatra), the Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi, theultan Syarif Kasim II Airport in Pekanbaru (Riau), and the Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung, Barata said.

The Indonesian government has imposed haze emergency status to address the forest fire. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency ( BNPB) is teaming up with police, military and volunteers to extinguish the fires on the ground while making artificial rain to help the efforts.

Indonesia has been experiencing massive forest fire in Sumatra and Kalimantan in the last 18 years. Legal measures have been strengthened against individuals and firms responsible for setting the fires in the forest in the last few years.