Jakarta, ThedailyID — Ten countries are helping Indonesia tackle forest and land fires by providing aircraft and other support for firefighting and disaster response.
The Ministry of Transportation, through the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, has processed 35 special permits for foreign-registered aircraft. The permits cover a total of 36 helicopters operated by 11 Air Operator Certificate holders from eight countries.
The eight countries providing aircraft are:
- Australia
- Russia
- United States
- Ukraine
- New Zealand
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Canada
“The countries of origin are Australia, Russia, the United States, Ukraine, New Zealand, Laos, Vietnam and Canada,” Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa said in Jakarta, Monday (31/08).
The aircraft that have received special permits can be repositioned to other areas affected by forest and land fires as conditions change. Operators only need to notify the Directorate General of Civil Aviation within 24 hours of the repositioning.
The policy refers to Directorate General of Civil Aviation Decree No. KP. 9 of 2021 on the Authorization of Foreign Aircraft Operations.
Japan is also preparing to send three CH-4 helicopters to assist Indonesia in dealing with forest fires in Kalimantan.
Meanwhile, Malaysia said Indonesia has allowed its aircraft to enter Indonesian airspace to conduct cloud-seeding operations along the shared border.
With Japan and Malaysia included, the countries supporting Indonesia’s fire response are:
- Australia
- Russia
- United States
- Ukraine
- New Zealand
- Laos
- Vietnam
- Canada
- Japan
- Malaysia
The assistance is aimed at supporting firefighting operations and helping Indonesia respond to the wider impacts of the forest and land fires.
