Rendani Airport flights canceled due to thick haze

Flight operations at Rendani Airport in Manokwari, West Papua, faced significant disruptions due to thick haze caused by forest and land fires. On Tuesday, October 6, 2026, all scheduled flights were canceled because visibility dropped to as low as 1 kilometer, failing to meet safety standards.

Impacted routes included commercial flights from Jakarta, Makassar, Sorong, Kaimana, Jayapura, and Nabire, as well as several pioneer routes such as Wasior-Manokwari and Manokwari-Kambuaya. Herman Sujito, head of the Rendani Airport Management Unit, stated that the cancellations were necessary to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

The haze in Manokwari is reportedly exacerbated by fires in West Papua, South Papua, and Papua New Guinea. While some limited flights resumed on Monday after visibility improved, the situation remains volatile as authorities coordinate with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to monitor weather conditions.