Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesia's Transportation Ministry said on October 26 that no airports had closed because of forest and land fires although weather and poor visibility have forced flight-schedule changes, reported the local media.
Lukman F. Laisa, the ministry's Director General of Civil Aviation, said all airports remain open, with flight schedules adjusted to weather conditions in affected areas.
Between August 14 and October 25, a total of 3,030 flights were affected across 154 routes, with about 1,700 flights cancelled. The hardest-hit routes served Pontianak, Singkawang, Palangkaraya and Pangkalan Bun. Meanwhile, 617 pioneer flights were affected in Papua, Kalimantan and Maluku.
The ministry has issued all necessary permits for 42 helicopters to support wildfire response operations. The number of affected airports in Papua has fallen from 12 to seven as weather improves and flight operations become smoother, he said./.
