Anak Krakatau Eruption Closes Indonesian Airports, Disrupts Hundreds of Flights; SIA Among Airlines Hit
Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau erupted again on Sunday, September 6, sending volcanic ash across parts of western Indonesia and causing widespread disruption to air travel. The eruption forced the temporary closure of several airports, including Jakarta’s main international gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Soekarno-Hatta suspended flight operations after volcanic ash was detected around the airport. Indonesian aviation authorities extended the closure several times as monitoring continued, with ash posing a significant safety risk to aircraft engines and flight operations.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said six airports were temporarily closed or affected by the ash. They included Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, Radin Inten II, Budiarto, Pondok Cabe and Husein Sastranegara in Bandung.
The scale of the disruption grew rapidly. Official aviation data recorded 373 affected flight movements by 10:35 a.m. local time on Sunday, while later reports indicated that the overall disruption had reached more than 1,500 flights and around 170,000 passengers.
At Soekarno-Hatta alone, an initial airport closure affected 209 flight movements and about 22,798 passengers. International services involving Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Doha and Amsterdam were among those disrupted.
Singapore Airlines was among the carriers forced to cancel services. SIA cancelled 19 Singapore-Jakarta flights scheduled for Sunday, while its low-cost subsidiary Scoot cancelled 12 flights. The airlines warned that additional services could be affected if the volcanic-ash situation continued.
AirAsia also cancelled or rescheduled all flights to and from Jakarta following the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta. The airline said volcanic ash posed a significant threat to safe aircraft operations and that it was continuing to monitor developments.
The eruption has affected more than aviation. Volcanic ash spread across populated areas, prompting authorities to halt some school activities and fishing operations. Residents were advised to reduce exposure to ash, while masks were distributed in affected communities because of concerns over respiratory and eye irritation.
The volcanic ash cloud rose to altitudes of up to about 50,000 feet, according to authorities and reports. Its movement was being closely monitored because changing winds could alter which air routes and airports remain affected.
Authorities have prepared alternative airports, including facilities in Semarang and Surabaya, to handle diverted aircraft if required. Indonesian aviation officials are coordinating with airlines, airport operators and the country’s meteorological agency as they assess when normal operations can safely resume.
Anak Krakatau has remained an active volcano since emerging in the Sunda Strait following the destruction of the original Krakatoa volcano in the 1883 eruption. Its 2018 eruption triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people, making the latest activity particularly significant for Indonesian authorities. No tsunami threat was reported from the current eruption.
For passengers travelling through Jakarta and other affected airports, authorities and airlines are urging travellers to check individual flight status before going to the airport. With the ash cloud and volcanic activity still being monitored, further cancellations, delays or diversions remain possible.
