Batam, Riau island (Antara) - Three flights to the Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam were cancelled on Friday morning due to haze blanketing the Sumatra island, Chief of General Affairs at the Hang Nadim International Airport Suwarso noted. "Among the cancelled flights are those from Jambi province, Palembang province, and Pekanbaru city," Suwarno reported. He explained that the haze situation in Batam is still safe for flying, but other areas near Batam are covered with thick haze that has resulted in the cancellation of some flights. "More flight cancellations are possible if the haze situation gets worse," Suwarso added. The arrival of El Nino, an ocean-atmosphere phenomenon, which results in drier weather conditions, has a significant impact on Indonesia every year. It triggers forest fires that eventually result in thick haze covering parts of the country such as Sumatra and Kalimantan islands every year. Based on the data gathered during the period between 2006 and 2014, the cumulative count of hotspots in Sumatra indicated that hotspots caused by forest fires mostly occurred from June through October, while in Kalimantan they occur from August to October. (*)
