JAKARTA  –  At a paddy field two kilometres from Jakarta’s international airport, the rustle of fluttering kites is periodically drowned out by the thunderous roar of plane engines. Tugging at kite strings in the field are a group of children, their necks craned towards the skies. But their eyes are also darting below, keeping a lookout for patrolling airport officials who could come to confiscate their kites – and their fun. “In the past, my friends and I would run away when an officer came,” seven-year-old Atif, one of the kids in the field, tells the BBC. “Now I’m braver, so I go along with it when they scold me.” “If my kite is taken, it’s sad, but I can always make another one.”  A tug of war is unfolding here, between airport authorities and one of Indonesia’s most cherished pastimes.  Kite-flying is popular in Indonesia – especially at this time of the year when students go on summer holidays. But authorities have issued warnings about the kites, which they say pose a safety hazard if they block aircraft sensors or get snagged in engines.  During three days in early July, kites disrupted 21 flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the one near the paddy field, according to air-traffic controller AirNav Indonesia. Some had been diverted to another airport and some aborted landings, deeming it too dangerous to go near the kites. Kites are “moving obstacles” for planes and a “serious risk to flight safety”, Putu Eka Cahyadi, head of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Authority, tells the BBC. Such fears are not unfounded.  In July 2024, a helicopter crashed in Bali after it got entangled in kite strings, injuring three Indonesians and two Australians on board.

In July 2020, strings and bamboo sticks from a kite were found in the engine of a plane after it arrived at Soekarno-Hatta. While the plane had managed to land without mishap, the incident triggered serious safety concerns. The following month, the airport set up a task force to crack down on kite-flying near its premises.  Five years on, the problem has persisted. In July, transport minister Dudy Purwagandhi urged airport authorities and regional governments across Indonesia to minimise the harm that kites are posing to flights.

“It’s certainly a fun activity, but we also need to educate them to prevent the public or children from engaging in activities that could endanger flights,” says Mr Putu.  His colleagues have tried giving the kids footballs and badminton racquets to steer them towards other sports. But kite-flying is woven into the fabric of Indonesian culture. Traditionally made with leaves, colourful paper or cloth, kites are flown in Indonesia for various purposes: for rice harvest ceremonies, to chase birds away from crops or, in Bali, as a form of prayer and offering to the gods.

“Kite flying has been passed down through generations from our ancestors. Almost every region in Indonesia has a tradition of kite flying,” says Asep Irawan, an expert from the Indonesia Kite Museum. “However, we need to be cautious, especially [with] children. They just fly them. They don’t see the potential danger.”