Open burning in plantations and forest fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia have generated thick clouds of smog across the Straits of Malacca to Malaysia, disrupting flights in the two countries over the past week.
According to the spokesman of Indonesia’s Ministry of Transport in Jakarta, the haze disrupted operations at 16 airports and closed 13. Ten of the closed airports are in Kalimantan. The other three are in Sumatra, Acheh and Riau. With the exception of Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Acheh, they all serve as domestic facilities.
Authorities have either delayed for several hours or canceled flights at Medan's Kuala Namu International Airport, Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam and Pekanbaru’s Sultan Syarif Kasim II International Airport. The spokesman said the smog reduced visibility to between 50 meters (165 feet) and 100 meters (330 feet) at the 13 closed airports. He added that the airports will open for operations only when the Department of Civil Aviation issues its approval.
In Malaysia, poor visibility forced the delay or cancellation of flights at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Penang International Airport, Senai International Airport in Johor Baru and Kuching International Airport (KIA).
At KIA, visibility fell to 400 meters (1,300 feet), forcing the cancellation of 26 flights and delaying 16 as of September 17.
Changi Airport in Singapore did not escape the effects either, as the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore increased the alloted space between departing and landing aircraft. The visibility on both runways fell to less than 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) but the airport saw no flight cancellations.
The haze imposes huge cost on the affected airlines, airports and the economies of the countries involved. It happens when owners of oil palm plantations and timber contractors carry out open burning of the discards of their harvest. The lack of fire-suppression systems in the forests and plantations and the sheer size of the areas compound the problem. Poor accessibility is another factor.
Despite pledges by the Indonesian government to address the problem, every year the smog returns. Not until this year has it forced the closure of airports or widespread flight disruptions, however.