Aircraft Goes Missing in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi, Search and Rescue Operations Underway
Indonesia Air Transport flight from Yogyakarta to Makassar goes off radar near Maros Regency
Indonesia, Jan 18 : An ATR 400 aircraft operated by Indonesia Air Transport lost contact on Saturday while flying from Yogyakarta to Makassar, local media reported. The plane went missing around 1:17 p.m. local time over Maros Regency in South Sulawesi, shortly before it was scheduled to land at Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport.
Indonesia’s Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) in Makassar confirmed that search teams had been dispatched to the suspected location after receiving coordinates from Indonesia’s air navigation service, AirNav Indonesia. “We are heading to the location, around the Leang-Leang area in Maros Regency, based on the points provided by AirNav,” said Andi Sultan, head of operations at Basarnas Makassar.
A joint search and rescue operation has been deployed, involving three teams and around 25 personnel. Maros Police Chief Douglas Mahendrajaya stated that police are also verifying reports of the aircraft losing contact in the area.
The incident comes months after a helicopter crash in Central Papua in September 2025, which claimed all four lives on board. Authorities have urged calm as rescue operations continue in South Sulawesi.
