Thick Haze Diverts Flights, Delays Departures in Papua’s Sorong
Haze Disrupts Air Travel in Sorong as Visibility Falls
Kabarsaji.com – Dense haze over Sorong, Southwest Papua, forced two aircraft to change course on Thursday, October 8, 2026, while several other flights faced delayed departures from Domine Eduard Osok Airport. Reduced runway visibility has created operational challenges for airlines, air traffic services, and travelers using one of the region’s key air gateways.
One affected flight was redirected to Rendani Airport in Manokwari, while another landed at Frans Kaisiepo Airport in Biak. The diversions occurred as smoke and dry haze limited pilots’ ability to meet required visibility conditions for a safe approach and landing in Sorong.
Commercial and Cargo Flights Affected
Hery Purnomo, Operations Manager at AirNav Indonesia’s Sorong Tower, said the two diversions involved different types of services. A cargo aircraft arriving from Makassar continued instead to Biak, while a Batik Air passenger flight departing Jakarta was sent to Manokwari.
“Today, two flights were affected: one diverted to Rendani in Manokwari and the other to Biak,” Hery said during a press conference at the Domine Eduard Osok Airport office in Sorong.
AirNav Indonesia continued to oversee aircraft movements under established safety procedures as visibility dropped. Flights already positioned on the airport apron also encountered delays before leaving for their scheduled destinations.
For passengers, a diversion can mean more than a later arrival. Aircraft may need to refuel, wait for weather conditions to improve, secure a new departure slot, and coordinate onward arrangements. Airlines must also consider crew-duty limits and the needs of travelers with connections, making early schedule adjustments an important part of managing prolonged weather disruption.
Flight Decisions Rest With Captains
Hery stressed that air navigation personnel provide operational weather information and support safe traffic management, but the ultimate decision to divert belongs to the aircraft captain. Airline crews receive current visibility and meteorological data from the Class I DEO Sorong Meteorological Station before determining whether conditions are suitable for landing.
“If a flight or pilot decides to divert, that is strictly the captain's decision. We simply provide the official data,” he said.
Visibility requirements can vary depending on the aircraft, airport procedures, runway conditions, and the qualifications and equipment available to the crew. When weather falls below the applicable safety minimum, a flight may delay its approach, enter a holding pattern, or proceed to an alternate airport.
At Sorong, the haze has been severe enough to make those decisions necessary. The situation also illustrates why weather observations near the runway are essential: regional skies may appear passable while conditions at the airport itself remain inadequate for a safe landing or takeoff.
Smoke Carried Toward Sorong
Ahmad Bisri, head of the Class I DEO Sorong Meteorological Station, said smoke and haze remain present across the Sorong area. Southeasterly winds have been transporting thick smoke from areas experiencing fires toward the city and its airport.
“Because there are numerous hotspots in those areas, the resulting smoke naturally drifts toward Sorong,” Ahmad said.
On Wednesday, visibility declined to 1,000 meters between 6:05 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. WIT. Conditions remained limited the following morning, with visibility measured at 1,500 meters at around 7:00 a.m. WIT on Thursday.
Persistent dry haze has kept visibility in the wider area moving between one and five kilometers. Such fluctuations can be particularly difficult for flight planning because conditions may improve or deteriorate over relatively short periods, requiring airlines and crews to remain ready to revise operations.
Satellite monitoring identified 1,463 hotspots across Southwest Papua from the beginning of October through October 8, 2026. South Sorong Regency recorded the largest concentration. Hotspots are indicators of unusually high surface temperatures detected by satellite and can be associated with fires, though they do not by themselves establish the precise size or cause of every fire.
Garuda Changes Jakarta–Sorong Departure Time
Garuda Indonesia has altered its Jakarta–Sorong schedule in response to the haze. Nadia Anisa, the airline’s Sorong branch general manager, said the carrier had moved its departure from Jakarta later in the morning after several days in which aircraft could only reach Sorong at about 11:00 a.m. WIT.
“Over the past three days, our flights have only been able to land in Sorong around 11:00 a.m. WIT. We previously departed Jakarta at 00:10 a.m., but now it's 5:00 a.m.,” Nadia said.
The revised timing is intended to reduce the chance of diversions while giving travelers, especially those making onward connections, a clearer expectation of when flights may operate. Avoiding a diversion can also reduce disruption for passengers and help airlines maintain more dependable aircraft rotations.
One daily outbound Garuda service from Sorong to Jakarta was delayed by between five and six hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The delays underscore the broader effect that poor visibility can have beyond arriving flights, since aircraft held on the ground may not be able to depart until conditions meet operational requirements.
Travelers scheduled to fly through Sorong should monitor airline notifications closely, allow additional time for airport procedures, and prepare for possible changes to departure or arrival times while haze conditions persist. Airlines, airport authorities, meteorological personnel, and air traffic services will continue to rely on updated visibility data as they work to keep operations safe.
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