Indonesia's Transportation Ministry is monitoring haze at 16 airports across Papua after forest and land fires cut visibility and disrupted flight operations. Data through October 13 shows 2,021 scheduled domestic flights affected since August 11, including 1,067 canceled or postponed and 919 delayed. International routes were hit too, with 12 Singapore-Pontianak round trips canceled in September. The fires also create a climate problem. Forest and land fires release large amounts of carbon and fine particulates, and repeated haze events across Indonesia and neighboring countries have drawn scrutiny from Singapore and ASEAN. The government has used water bombing operations with 38 aircraft, but the recurring disruptions show that response alone is not enough to protect flights, health, or the climate.
