Jakarta, Oct. 15 -- Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said Indonesia was stepping up weather-modification operations to support wildfire suppression in several regions, including Central Kalimantan.

The operations are scheduled for October 15-16, with aircraft departing from Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, he said in a statement issued in Jakarta on Thursday.

The plan reflects poor visibility at Tjilik Riwut Airport in Palangka Raya and Iskandar Airport in Pangkalan Bun, which has prevented weather-modification aircraft from taking off.

Authorities will instead dispatch the aircraft from Syamsudin Noor Airport in Banjarmasin.

"Cloud-seeding flights are planned for Oct. 15-16, and we hope conditions favor rain...