Indonesia approves 35 foreign aircraft to fight Kalimantan fires

hartono · Sep 2, 2026

Indonesia approves 35 foreign aircraft to fight Kalimantan fires

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi responds to media inquiries following a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta, Tuesday (September 1, 2026). (ANTARA/Muhammad Harianto)

The foreign fleet is managed by 11 local Air Operator Certificate holders, with aircraft registered in eight countries, including Australia, Russia, the US, Ukraine, New Zealand, Laos, Vietnam, and Canada.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry has granted operational permits for 35 foreign-registered aircraft to support emergency aerial firefighting operations against forest and land fires across Kalimantan.

According to Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi, the emergency measure comes as local authorities work to contain fires in key priority areas amid a shortage of specialized domestic firefighting equipment.

“Handling these fires is a top priority at this time. In the short term, they must be extinguished immediately,” Dudy said following a working meeting with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) in Jakarta on Tuesday (September 1).

The specialized aircraft were mobilized by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) with support from the central government.

Dudy noted that the incoming aircraft consist predominantly of heavy-lift helicopters capable of conducting precision water-bombing operations in remote areas.

The foreign fleet is managed by 11 local Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders, with aircraft registered in eight countries, including Australia, Russia, the United States, Ukraine, New Zealand, Laos, Vietnam, and Canada.

The Transportation Ministry confirmed that expedited licensing, flight safety oversight, and ground operational support are being facilitated to keep the aircraft operational.

“We need all the necessary infrastructure to extinguish the fires, including foreign aircraft that Indonesia does not currently possess,” Dudy said, confirming that all 35 permits had been processed to enable immediate deployment over affected fire zones.

Indonesia is stepping up efforts to combat forest and land fires after nearly 286,000 hectares of land were scorched nationwide between January and late August 2026.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported that more than 48,889 hectares had been scorched across six priority provinces, while the Forestry Ministry’s SIPONGI system recorded more than 1,200 active hotspots at peak levels across Kalimantan and Sumatra.

The extensive fires have been driven by a prolonged El Niño-induced dry spell and exacerbated by illegal land-clearing practices.