Indonesia explores deployment of Chinese jets to combat forest fires

indonesianupdates.com_admin

2 hours ago

Beijing, China (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry is exploring the possibility of deploying Comac jets from its producer in China to optimise efforts in combating forest fires in the country.

“We are exploring possibilities to facilitate the deployment of Comac C909 jets to help extinguishing forest fires in several regions in Indonesia,” Director General for Air Transport at the ministry, Lukman F. Laisa, told ANTARA on Tuesday.

Laisa is in China as part of Indonesia’s delegation for the 2026 Global Sustainable Transport Forum (GSTF) and the 12th APEC Transportation Ministerial Meeting, both hosted in Beijing.

He noted the Chinese aircraft manufacturer possesses new precision technology that can be mounted on planes to release environmentally friendly fire retardants.

The ministry official added the planned deployment of Comac C909 planes for forest fire operation in Indonesia will be organised as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme.

To explore the proposed deployment, Indonesian officials had met Comac executives in Shanghai.

Regarding when the Chinese jets will be deployed to Indonesia, Laisa explained it depends on logistical preparations and permit processing by Indonesian authorities.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation reported at least 41 aircraft from partner countries have been deployed to help fighting forest fires in Indonesia.

The United States provided the largest portion with 16 units, followed by Australia and Russia with seven of each, Ukraine with four, Vietnam with three, and Canada with two. New Zealand and Laos contributed one aircraft each.

Japan has also deployed its military ship with 3 CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 180 personnel to strengthen forest fire operations in Kalimantan.

According to the Forestry Ministry’s forest fire monitoring system, SiPongi, the forest fire has affected over 202,000 hectares of land in the first half of 2026.

The fire occurred in most parts of Kalimantan, the southern half of Sumatra, and other regions in the country, affecting national parks, protected forests, and conservation areas.

Forest fire-induced haze from Indonesia also affected neighboring countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines.

For several days in early September, the Malaysian government declared a haze emergency in a region in Sarawak, which borders Indonesia.