Haze: What tourists planning to head to Batam should know

Batam haze has worsened this week. Air quality is very unhealthy. Visibility is falling at the airport and at sea. Batam Pos reported an ISPU, Indonesia’s air pollution index, of 283 on 15 October. It said sight range at the airport fell to 1,000 metres.

This matters to Malaysians flying in and to Singapore travellers on the ferry. A direct Batik Air flight from Batam to Penang starts on 18 October, Terasbatam reported.

Here is what the readings show, how travel is affected, and what officials advise.

How bad the air is in Batam

BMKG’s Hang Nadim station recorded PM2.5 of 190.1 µg/m³ at 08:00 on 14 October, CNN Indonesia reported. Batam Pos’s ISPU of 283 on 15 October is in the “very unhealthy” band of the Indonesian scale.

However, readings were lower earlier in the month. Kepriraya reported an air quality index of 177 on 9 October, rated unhealthy. Terasbatam cited PM2.5 of 99.2 the next day.

Meanwhile, Terasbatam attributed the haze to forest and land fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan. Also, a BMKG forecaster said exposure is likely to continue while those fires burn.

Besides this, schools in Batam have used home learning since 6 October, Antara reported. Andi Agung, the Kepri education head, told Batam Pos that classes stop once ISPU reaches 110. No return date has been set.

Flying into Batam

First, sight range at Hang Nadim airport was about 1,400 metres on 14 October. Batam Pos said two flights were delayed that day.

However, the summaries we could read did not name the airlines or routes. We have not seen an airline notice for Malaysia–Batam services. That gap matters for travellers.

In the wider region, for example, Firefly extended cancellations of its Subang–Singapore (Seletar) flights until 16 October. Bernama reported that the airline called it a safety precaution.

Penang tourism exco member Wong Hon Wai said on 8 October that monsoon winds should clear the air soon. Terasbatam reported that he tied this to the 18 October launch.

Astindo Kepri’s Doli Hasibuan said Malaysian tourists are asking about the air and school activity.

Sailing in from Singapore

It is also harder to see on the water. Kepriraya reported on 9 October that ports and ferries at Batam Centre and along the coast looked faint. Terasbatam described ferries moving through thin haze on 10 October.

Later, on 12 October, BMKG forecast that people could see about 4 km at Batam Centre port, Metropolis reported. We found no published sight-range figure for the sea route itself.

In Singapore, meanwhile, the 24-hour PSI ranged from 127 to 203 on 14 October, The Star reported. Batam Pos said residents there were rushing to buy N95 masks.

Ferry safety is on many minds. On 10 November 2025, the ferry Horizon 9 left Batam for Singapore with 165 passengers and seven crew. Antara reported that it collided with the tanker La Digue.

No one was hurt. Singapore’s port authority is investigating, and AsiaOne gave no cause. No report mentions weather or haze. So far, we found no ferry cancellations this week.

What officials and operators advise

BMKG Hang Nadim warns that fire smoke can cut sight range and cause breathing problems, Batamnews reported. It therefore urges people to wear masks outdoors.

Pemko Batam earlier advised people to go out less, wear masks and drink more water. It also urged a check-up for breathing problems and gave the toll-free 112 line.

Hasan, the Kepri tourism head, said on 8 October that arrivals had not yet been affected, Ulasan reported. In addition, he said operators are reassuring vulnerable visitors, such as people with breathing conditions.

Meanwhile, Astindo Kepri members have moved tours to indoor venues with air-conditioning. We have found no government travel advisory for Batam. CJ.MY suggests confirming flight and ferry times with your operator on the day and packing masks.