All flights at Singkawang Airport in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province were cancelled on Saturday as haze from forest and land fires reduced visibility and disrupted air travel.
The airport said the cancellations were necessary for flight safety and advised affected passengers to contact their airlines. Singkawang Airport serves domestic routes and is located about 145 kilometres north of Pontianak.
The disruption comes as authorities monitor worsening conditions across Kalimantan. Indonesia’s Transport Ministry said flights could be delayed, diverted or cancelled when visibility falls below required safety limits.
Satellite monitoring detected 126 high-confidence hotspots across Kalimantan as of 9:30 pm on Friday. Of these, 56 were recorded in Central Kalimantan, 51 in West Kalimantan and 19 in South Kalimantan.
The fires have also affected air quality. Monitoring by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency showed parts of West and Central Kalimantan experiencing very unhealthy conditions.
Authorities are responding with ground and aerial firefighting operations, including water bombing. Weather modification operations have also been prepared and will be carried out when suitable cloud conditions are available.
Meanwhile, investigations into the fires are continuing. Central Kalimantan police had named about 12 suspects in forest and land fire cases as of mid-August, according to local media.
