Singkawang Airport Cancels All Flights as Forest Fire Haze Chokes West Kalimantan Skies

Singkawang Airport in West Kalimantan cancelled all flights on Saturday due to haze from forest and land fires, with Indonesia's Transport Ministry citing visibility as the safety concern.

Original report
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Industry impact

Haze-driven closures show how satellite hotspot counts and visibility thresholds, not schedules, determine whether Kalimantan's airports stay open during fire season.

What happened

All flights at Singkawang Airport in Indonesia's West Kalimantan province were cancelled on Saturday because of haze caused by forest and land fires across Kalimantan. The airport announced the cancellation through its official Instagram account and advised affected passengers to contact their respective airlines. Singkawang, which handles domestic flights, is located approximately 145 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Pontianak.

Indonesia's Transport Ministry said on Friday it was continuing to monitor smoke from the fires and its impact on flight operations at several airports. Director-General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa said visibility was a critical factor in aviation safety, with flights subject to delays, diversions or cancellations when it falls below required operational limits. "Aviation safety is the main priority. Operators are required to make adjustments when visibility conditions do not meet requirements. We continue to monitor the situation and coordinate with all stakeholders," he said.

NASA's Terra/Aqua satellite monitoring detected 56 high-confidence hotspots in Central Kalimantan, 51 in West Kalimantan and 19 in South Kalimantan as of 9.30 pm local time on Friday, according to the ministry's latest update. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that parts of West and Central Kalimantan were experiencing very unhealthy air quality. Ground and aerial firefighting operations, including water bombing, are ongoing, and weather modification operations have been prepared for when suitable cloud conditions are available. Separately, Central Kalimantan police had named about 12 suspects in forest and land fire cases as of mid-August, with police chief Inspector-General Iwan Kurniawan saying all forest and land fires in the province were being investigated to determine their causes and identify those responsible.

Who this affects

• Commercial Airports — Haze from ongoing Kalimantan fires can force full-day flight cancellations at affected airports with little advance notice.
• Business Charter Operators — Business charter operators serving Kalimantan face cancellation or diversion risk tied directly to visibility readings during the current haze episode.
• Charter Brokers — Charter brokers handling Kalimantan itineraries should warn clients of possible last-minute cancellations tied to smoke and visibility conditions.