September 8, 2026 | 09:04 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A volcanic eruption from Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel across Indonesia, leaving 170,000 passengers affected by flight cancellations as volcanic ash forced the closure of seven airports, including two serving Jakarta.
According to The Guardian, volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau, located between Java and Sumatra, blanketed Jakarta and surrounding areas after the volcano erupted late Friday, prompting authorities to suspend airport operations for safety reasons.
The closure of Jakarta's main airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, was extended until 6 p.m. Monday local time, along with six other airports serving Jakarta and nearby provinces, including Lampung and West Java.
"We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather," Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said.
The Transport Ministry said 1,558 flights had been delayed at eight affected airports as of Sunday, with 170,000 passengers stranded. More than 900 of the affected flights were to or from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
Volcanic ash was detected in the airspace surrounding Soekarno-Hatta, prompting authorities to suspend operations. The disruption forced passengers to search for alternative flights, while some were required to reschedule their journeys.
Henny Yensan, 44, who had planned to travel to her hometown with her mother, said passengers were disappointed by the disruption.
"Everybody was disappointed," the businesswoman told AFP after rescheduling her flight for Tuesday. She said passengers remained calm because the disruption was caused by a natural disaster.
The eruption also disrupted daily activities in Jakarta. Schools across the capital moved classes online on Monday, although authorities did not specify how long the measure would remain in place.
Some shipping operations were also affected by the volcanic activity.
Eruptions at Anak Krakatau on Saturday produced a fountain of lava and booming sounds that could be heard hundreds of kilometers away, according to Indonesia's geology agency. Further eruptions were recorded on Sunday, with the most recent reported at 8:23 p.m.
The volcano monitoring agency warned Monday that the probability of further eruptions in the coming period remained high.
Volcanic ash also reached Bandar Lampung at the southern tip of Sumatra, coating parked cars and roadsides.
Anak Krakatau Eruption Disrupts Air and Sea Travel
Anak Krakatau, meaning "Child of Krakatau," sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Authorities have urged ships passing through the strait to remain vigilant because of possible risks to navigation caused by the volcanic activity.
Vessels have been prohibited from approaching within 3 kilometers of the volcano, according to local port authorities.
The volcano has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea in the early 20th century inside the caldera created by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau.
That eruption was among the deadliest and most destructive volcanic disasters in history, killing an estimated 35,000 people.
Geology agency head Lana Saria warned people against approaching Anak Krakatau, saying materials ejected by the volcano could pose a danger to anyone entering the exclusion zone.
She said, however, that the latest series of eruptions did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.
Anak Krakatau was responsible for another deadly event in 2018, when part of the volcano collapsed and triggered a tsunami that killed 429 people and displaced thousands.
Indonesia, an archipelago in Southeast Asia, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the movement and collision of tectonic plates contribute to frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Read: Indonesia Prepares 10 Airports to Restore Flights Disrupted by Anak Krakatau Ash
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