35 Aircraft from Russia to US Aid Kalimantan Forest Fire Suppression

The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has granted flight permits to 35 aircraft from eight countries, including Russia and the United States, to aid in the handling of forest and land fires (Karhutla) in Kalimantan. Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi stated that the issuance of these permits is due to the fact that Karhutla handling has become a top national priority. He added that the government requires additional firefighting equipment, as Indonesia's aerial firefighting resources are not fully available. "In essence, we will always support what is a priority. Like this fire handling, it is a top priority at the moment. It must also be extinguished quickly in the short term," he told reporters at the DPR RI Building, as quoted by Antara on Tuesday (1/9). Dudy mentioned that the foreign aircraft were brought in by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) and will receive operational support from the central government. "We need all the necessary infrastructure to extinguish fires, including foreign aircraft that happen to not be owned in Indonesia. So, we are bringing them in, they are brought in by BNPB, then used for extinguishing, and we are providing permits," said Dudy. The Minister of Transportation confirmed that flight permits for the 35 foreign aircraft have been issued. These aircraft will soon be operational, assisting in aerial fire suppression efforts during the forest and land fire emergency. Dudy noted that the majority of the foreign aircraft used in handling Karhutla are helicopters, as helicopters have the capability to effectively support the fire suppression process from the air in fire-affected locations. "Oh yes, those aircraft are already operating to handle Karhutla. We have already given all the permits. There were around 35 aircraft earlier," he said. Meanwhile, Director General of Air Transportation at the Ministry of Transportation, Lukman F Laisa, stated that the 35 foreign aircraft that received registration permits come from Russia to the United States (US). He explained that there are a total of 11 Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holders from eight countries of origin with a total of 36 helicopters. The Ministry of Transportation detailed that the 11 AOCs include Ersa Eastern Aviation, Genesa Dirgantara, Falcon Patriot Utama, Pegasus Air Service, Whitesky Aviation, Smart Cakrawala Aviation, Elang Nusantara Air, Intan Angkasa Air Service, Volta Pasifik Aviasi, Dabi Air Nusantara, and Derazona Air Service. "The countries of origin are from Australia, Russia, America, Ukraine, New Zealand, Laos, Vietnam, and Canada," he explained. Source: CNN Indonesia