Indonesia’s airports have remained open despite wildfire-related disruption, the Transportation Ministry’s civil aviation chief said on October 26, according to ANTARA’s October 27 report. Poor visibility has still forced cancellations and timetable changes, so an open airport does not mean every booked flight will operate.
What the latest statement says
Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa said some Pontianak flights had moved from daytime to clearer nighttime conditions. ANTARA reported his figures of 3,030 affected flights across 154 routes between August 14 and October 25, including about 1,700 cancellations. Those are cumulative figures, not today’s cancellation total.
Why schedules can change while airports remain open
In its October 19 operational update, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation explained that smoke reduces visibility for takeoff, landing and aircraft movements. It instructed airport operators to coordinate with AirNav Indonesia and the weather agency BMKG, use low-visibility procedures and issue operational notices when needed.
The regulator’s official register also lists SE-DJPU 19 of 2026, dated October 23, concerning mitigation of forest- and land-fire risks to flight operations. This article does not treat that circular as a nationwide airport closure order.
What to check before travelling
- Check your flight number and departure date directly with the operating airline before leaving for the airport. Check again if your journey includes a connection through an affected region.
- If your flight changes, ask the airline which rebooking or refund options apply to your ticket, and keep its written notice. Do not assume another airline will accept the booking automatically.
- Use current airline and airport notices for your own journey. National cumulative figures do not establish the condition of a particular runway or flight today.
Our Indonesia aviation coverage brings together related airport and airline updates.
Source note: ANTARA reports October 26 remarks; the October 19 regulator release is background. These figures do not establish today’s flight status.
Archive/context photograph: Supadio Airport control tower and apron, June 20, 2023, by Hugerberg via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0. Resized and compressed to WebP. It does not show October 2026 smoke, fires or current operations.
