PEKANBARU/MEDAN: Worsening haze from forest and land fires forced airlines to delay and divert multiple flights across Indonesia’s Sumatra in the past few days as visibility plummeted and air quality hit hazardous levels.
Five flights at Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport in Palembang were delayed on the morning of Oct 8 because of poor visibility caused by the haze, the airport’s general manager, Ahmad Syaugi Sahab, said.
The affected flights included three departures to Jakarta and Pangkalpinang in the Bangka Belitung Islands, and two arrivals from Yogyakarta and Jakarta.
“Visibility at the airport fell below the minimum operational threshold of 600m this morning because of the haze, so we had to delay several departures and arrivals to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crews,” Ahmad said, according to Indonesian news outlet Detik.com.
The disruption came just days after haze affected 18 flights at the airport on Oct 3, when visibility also fell below the minimum level required for flight operations.
In Pekanbaru, Riau province, two flights from Jakarta were unable to land at Sultan Syarif Kasim airport on the morning of Oct 7 after visibility fell to as low as 600m.
A Lion Air flight returned to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, while a Citilink flight from Jakarta was diverted to Hang Nadim Airport in Batam, Riau Islands.
“The Lion Air flight returned to its departure airport at 6.44am local time because weather conditions and visibility were below the minimum required for a safe landing, the Citilink flight was diverted at 8.04am after circling over Pekanbaru while waiting for conditions to improve,” said airport executive general manager, Achmad on Oct 7.
Another flight from Jakarta, operated by Pelita Air, was forced to circle over Pekanbaru five times as dense haze severely reduced visibility before it was able to land safely at 8.40am as conditions improved, he added.
Haze also disrupted flights at Sultan Thaha Airport in Jambi province on Oct 7, forcing eight flights to and from Jakarta to be delayed or rescheduled.
“Visibility fell from 1,500m at 6am local time to 800m by noon, forcing us to delay or reschedule several flights,” said airport spokesperson Bachren, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
In North Sumatra, visibility at Silangit Airport in North Tapanuli fell to 1km on Oct 7 as haze blanketed the airport for a second day.
Visibility at the airport typically ranges from 3km to 4km in the morning and 6km to 8km in the afternoon, said Christy, a forecaster with the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
Visibility of 1km can disrupt flight operations, she said, although flights at Silangit were still operating normally on Oct 7.
“Ultimately, the decision rests with the airline and the pilot,” Christy said.
More than 36,000ha of land have been burned across Sumatra in 2026, including in the Riau Islands and Bangka Belitung Islands, according to data from the Forestry Ministry.
Riau has recorded the largest burnt area at 15,738ha, followed by the Riau Islands with 5,760ha and Lampung with 4,890ha.
The BMKG detected 4,806 hot spots across Sumatra on the morning of Oct 7, including 3,689 in South Sumatra and 438 in Jambi.
The fires have also sent air pollution levels soaring in parts of the island.
In Palembang, PM2.5 concentrations reached 903.6 micrograms per cubic m on Oct 5, the highest level recorded there in 2026 and in the “very hazardous” category, BMKG data showed.
In Pekanbaru, PM2.5 concentrations reached 298.7 micrograms per cubic m on Oct 6, putting air quality in the “hazardous” category.
Several regions have closed schools and shifted classes online or to home learning as the authorities seek to limit exposure to the haze. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
