Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau eruption disrupts regional Air travel

A major eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in Indonesia has severely disrupted air travel, forcing authorities to temporarily close several airports and leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers facing cancelled and delayed flights.

The eruption sent volcanic ash into the atmosphere, prompting Indonesian aviation authorities to suspend operations at several airports, including Jakarta’s main Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The closures were imposed as a precaution after volcanic ash was detected in airspace around the airports, posing a potential risk to aircraft engines and flight operations.

Initial figures released by Indonesia’s Transportation Ministry showed that about 150,000 passengers and 467 flights had been affected when the government expanded the closures to eight airports.

The figure included 58 international and 409 domestic flights.

However, the disruption has since grown substantially.

Reuters reported that more than 1,500 flights and about 170,000 passengers were affected across eight airports during the initial phase of the crisis.

By Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the wider disruption had affected about 2,961 flights and 341,000 passengers as aviation authorities worked to restore normal operations.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the government was closely monitoring the movement of volcanic ash in cooperation with Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.

Officials have stressed that flight safety remains the priority and that airports would remain closed whenever ash posed a threat to aircraft.

Airlines have been forced to cancel or reroute flights, affecting international services to destinations including Singapore, Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur.

Authorities also designated alternative airports to handle diverted domestic and international flights.

The situation began after Anak Krakatau, a volcano located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, became increasingly active.

The eruption produced ash plumes that reached high into the atmosphere, while lava and seismic activity were also reported around the volcano.

Reuters reported that the ash cloud reached altitudes of up to 50,000 feet, disrupting aviation across parts of Indonesia.

The volcano has remained at an elevated alert level, and authorities have advised residents in affected areas to protect themselves from volcanic ash.

Schools in some areas have also switched to online learning, while fishing activities have been suspended because of concerns over ash exposure.

Anak Krakatau is particularly closely watched because it was formed from the remains of the historic Krakatoa volcano.

In December 2018, a collapse linked to an eruption of Anak Krakatau triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra.

Despite the disruption, Indonesian authorities say there is no immediate indication of a tsunami threat from the latest activity.

Aviation officials continue to assess conditions and reopen airports when volcanic ash levels fall to safe levels.

By Tuesday, Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma and Husein Sastranegara airports had resumed operations, while Budiarto and Pondok Cabe also reopened later in the early hours.

Other airports remained under monitoring as authorities assessed changing ash conditions.

Authorities have urged airlines to keep passengers informed, provide refunds or rebooking options where appropriate and consider alternative routes until the situation fully stabilises.

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