Malaysian budget carrier Firefly has extended its suspension of flights linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore until Wednesday, as smoke from wildfires in Indonesia keeps hanging over the region. The airline described the move as a “proactive safety measure” and said the cancellations cover services between Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport near Kuala Lumpur and Singapore’s Seletar Airport.
The decision came as IQAir, a Swiss air quality monitoring company, ranked Singapore and Kuala Lumpur as the globe’s top two for pollution on Tuesday. Its readings put Singapore’s Air Quality Index at 199 and the Malaysian capital’s at 183. Levels above 150 are generally seen as unhealthy, while those above 300 are classed as hazardous.
Flight disruption and passenger rebooking plans
Firefly first announced the cancellations on October 10, pointing to low visibility caused by the haze. The carrier is a subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group, which also owns Malaysia Airlines. Affected travellers are being moved onto Malaysia Airlines flights between Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Changi Airport in Singapore, though this depends on seat availability.
Health measures and school closures across the region
Singapore has brought back subsidised care for illnesses linked to haze, a step it last took in 2015, when Indonesian blazes left smoke over the region for weeks. In Malaysia, schools reopened in most states on Tuesday after air quality improved slightly, yet they remain shut in three states, one federal territory and several districts.
The fires, concentrated mainly on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Borneo, are the most intense the country has seen in 11 years. They have been fuelled by El Nino, a weather pattern forecast to be among the strongest in four decades.
Regional talks and Indonesia’s firefighting struggles
Malaysia’s foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, said on Monday that he would push for tougher regional mechanisms when ASEAN foreign ministers meet next month. He argued that the existing ASEAN disaster framework does not treat haze as a disaster of that kind. He made the remarks to reporters in Sepang.
The Philippines, which chairs the bloc this year, confirmed that haze will be discussed. Dominic Xavier Imperial, a spokesman for the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, said it is on the agenda for the November gathering, which precedes the 49th ASEAN summit in Manila.
Mohamad said Indonesia has deployed roughly 60,000 personnel to tackle the fires, yet dense smoke has grounded 34 aircraft, including planes and helicopters. Difficult terrain and limited water supplies have also slowed the work, and cloud seeding cannot be carried out without suitable rain clouds. He acknowledged Indonesia’s efforts but called for more effective action, pointing to the impact on Malaysian communities.
