Dense smoke from forest and peat fires severely disrupted Supadio International Airport at Pontianak, West Kalimantan, in mid-September 2026. Visibility fell to around 300 metres on the morning of September 14, preventing normal operations.
Updated October 2, 2026 — the article now uses the airport’s confirmed three-day operating figures.
Seventy-three flights affected over three days
Supadio Airport management told Indonesia’s ANTARA news agency that 73 flights were delayed or rescheduled between September 12 and 14 because of wildfire and peat-fire smoke.
On September 12 only 11 flights operated — six arrivals and five departures. On September 13, only nine flights were completed. By the morning of September 14, visibility was still about 300 metres and no airline had been able to operate before 10:00 local time.
Why smoke can close an airport without damaging it
The runway and terminal can remain physically intact while operations become impossible. Pilots and air-traffic controllers must comply with visibility minima for departure and approach procedures. When visibility falls below those thresholds, flights may be delayed, diverted or cancelled even if the airport itself is technically open.
Peat fires make the problem persistent
West Kalimantan is vulnerable to smoke episodes because peat fires can burn for long periods and generate dense haze over large areas. Wind direction can improve or worsen airport conditions rapidly, making schedule recovery difficult. Weather-driven disruption can also propagate through crews and aircraft rotations, as shown by the Virgin Australia disruption affecting more than 30,000 passengers.
International connections are not protected from the disruption
Supadio’s network includes domestic services to major Indonesian cities and international links. A local visibility problem can therefore break connections far beyond Pontianak as aircraft and crews miss later rotations.
What passengers should do during haze events
Travellers should monitor both the airline and airport status. A departure shown as delayed may later become cancelled if visibility does not improve enough to meet operating minima.
Sources
ANTARA Kalimantan Barat; Supadio International Airport; Metro TV News; Indonesian local aviation reporting.
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