Haze from Indonesian fires has disrupted about 2,400 flights since mid-August, Indonesia says

As of 1:50 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026

About 2,400 flights across Indonesia have been affected by haze from wildfires since mid-August, the country's transport ministry said, according to AFP.

"Haze reduces visibility around airports, which can lead to delays, disruptions and even flight cancellations. Every operational decision is made with safety as the top priority," the ministry said. The figure covers delays, disruptions and cancellations; the ministry's statement as reported did not break out how many flights were canceled.

A region under smoke

Pollution levels ranged from unhealthy to very unhealthy across the region on Sunday, Oct. 18, AFP reported, as fires on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra kept burning. The months-long pollution spell has closed schools, fueled a rise in respiratory illness and restricted outdoor activities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and East Timor, according to the report.

Swiss-based air quality monitor IQAir again ranked Singapore and Kuala Lumpur among the world's five most polluted major cities, AFP said. In Singapore, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index stayed in the "very unhealthy" range in western parts of the city-state on Sunday, according to the report.

Why the fires keep burning

The fires have been intensified by a strong El Niño, AFP reported. Wang Jingyu, a Singapore-based atmospheric sciences expert, told AFP that cooler-than-normal sea surface temperatures across Southeast Asia have meant less evaporation and too little rain. "We do not have enough rain, the fire cannot be easily put out," he said.

Wildlife caught in the fires

Conservation groups have also been rescuing critically endangered orangutans from the fires. West Kalimantan's conservation agency and the Indonesian nonprofit YIARI said 51 orangutans had been evacuated in that province since Aug. 6, AFP reported.

Why it matters

The haze is a cross-border health and travel problem: smoke from fires in Indonesia is affecting air quality and daily life in neighboring countries, and without enough rain to put the fires out, the disruption to flights and schools could continue.