Indonesia haze disrupts over 2,600 flights, forces 14 cancellations on Singapore routes

Indonesia’s forest-fire haze disrupted air travel on a large scale. Between Aug 11 and Oct 19, it affected 2,604 domestic flights. The disruption included cancellations, postponements, delays, diversions and other schedule changes. It also reached international routes involving Singapore.

Twelve round-trip flights between Singapore and Pontianak were cancelled between Sep 12 and Sep 23. Two more flights between Singapore and Palembang were cancelled on Oct 15. Together, these made 14 international services cancelled on Singapore-related routes.

The Transportation Ministry said safety and security guided operational decisions. Haze reduced visibility around airports, so airlines and authorities changed schedules when conditions were unsafe. The disruption also extended beyond Indonesia, as Malaysia’s FireFly suspended its Subang-Singapore service for about a week before resuming it.

Haze is a layer of smoky, polluted air that can make distant objects difficult to see. In this article, the haze came from forest fires in Indonesia. The smoke spread through the air and affected conditions around several airports.

The key danger is reduced visibility. Pilots and airport staff need clear enough conditions to manage take-offs, landings and aircraft movements safely. When haze makes the airport environment difficult to see, flight schedules may need to change. The article directly links the haze with disruptions across Indonesia and on international routes.

The impact continued for weeks. More than 2,600 domestic flights were affected between Aug 11 and Oct 19. Fourteen international services involving Singapore were cancelled. FireFly also suspended its Subang-Singapore service in Malaysia for about a week before resuming it.

Indonesia recorded 2,604 affected domestic flights between Aug 11 and Oct 19. The figure shows that haze disrupted much more than a few isolated services. It affected schedules and airport operations across several provinces.

Of the total, 1,420 flights were cancelled or postponed, while 1,129 were delayed. Another 23 flights were diverted to different airports. Six returned to their departure airports, and 26 were rescheduled to leave earlier. These categories together account for all 2,604 affected flights.

The numbers show how airlines used different responses as conditions changed. Some flights did not operate as planned, while others continued after delays, diversions or schedule adjustments. The Transportation Ministry said decisions depended on weather conditions and safety assessments, with safety and security as the government’s top priority.

Airports depend on pilots and airport teams being able to see enough of the runway and surrounding operating area. Haze reduces that visibility. It can make it harder to judge positions, monitor movements and complete take-offs or landings safely.

The article identifies visibility as the direct operational problem. It says haze can affect take-offs, landings and aircraft movements. When conditions on the ground do not allow safe operations, the Transportation Ministry permits flight schedule adjustments. Safety assessments therefore become more important than keeping every flight on its original timetable.

The consequences were extensive. Between Aug 11 and Oct 19, 1,420 domestic flights were cancelled or postponed, and 1,129 were delayed. Twenty-three were diverted, while six returned to their departure airports. These actions reduced exposure to unsafe airport conditions while preserving safety as the main priority.

The haze disrupted airports in several parts of Indonesia. The article names Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport in Palu, Central Sulawesi, and Sultan Babullah Airport in Ternate, North Maluku. It also identifies airports in Pontianak, Pekanbaru and Palembang.

Pontianak is in West Kalimantan, Pekanbaru is in Riau, and Palembang is in South Sumatra. International services between Singapore and Pontianak were cancelled, as were two services between Singapore and Palembang. These examples show that the problem affected both domestic operations and cross-border routes.

The article attributes the disruption to haze from Indonesian forest fires and says haze reduced visibility around airports. It does not provide a detailed explanation of how the haze reached each location. It does show that conditions were poor enough across several regions to require cancellations, delays, diversions and other schedule changes.

When visibility becomes too poor, airlines and airports have several operational choices. They can delay or postpone a flight, cancel it, divert it to another airport, or return it to its departure airport. These options help avoid unsafe operations in affected conditions.

Indonesia’s figures show these alternatives in practice. Twenty-three flights were diverted, six returned to their departure airports, and 26 were rescheduled to leave earlier. Another 1,420 were cancelled or postponed, while 1,129 were delayed. The ministry said schedule adjustments were allowed when ground conditions did not support safe operations.

Airlines can also suspend a service temporarily. In Malaysia, FireFly resumed flights between Subang and Singapore after suspending the service for about a week. The article does not state which option is chosen in every situation. It shows that decisions depend on weather conditions and safety assessments.

Near an airport, aircraft must be guided through take-offs, landings and movements on the ground without coming too close to one another. Clear visibility supports that process. Pilots and airport teams can better identify runways, aircraft and movement areas when conditions are clear.

Haze interferes by reducing what can be seen. That makes it harder to confirm an aircraft’s position, monitor movement and maintain safe spacing during airport operations. The article summarizes this effect by saying haze can affect take-offs, landings and aircraft movements. The exact procedures used to separate aircraft are not described in the article; this explanation reflects standard aviation practice.

Because visibility affects safety, authorities may adjust schedules rather than continue normal operations. Indonesia delayed, cancelled, diverted or otherwise changed thousands of flights. The ministry said operational decisions used weather conditions and safety assessments as key considerations.