REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia cancelled 12 domestic flights on Sunday due to smog resulting in limited visibility. The decision to cancel the flights was based on the aspects of flight safety and security, particularly those related to limited visibility that risked flights, Garuda Indonesia Vice President/Corporate Secretary M. Ikhsan Rosan said in a written statement released on Sunday.
The cancellation affected flights routes from Jakarta to Samarinda, Pontianak and Palangka Raya, all on Kalimantan Island. With the cancellation, all Garuda Indonesia passengers travelling on the flight routes on that day can choose one of the options -- reschedule, reroute or refund in accordance with the rules, according to the statement.
Garuda Indonesia will keep monitoring the situation and development related to the impact of the haze that may disrupt flight safety, Ikhsan said.
Several parts of the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan have been suffering from the impact of thick smoke arising from wildfires over the past weeks. The thickening smog has even threatened the people's health and economic activities.