Volcanic ash grounds flights across Indonesia, major airports close

Volcanic ash grounds flights across Indonesia as airports suspend operations

Anak Krakatau’s eruption left about 270,000 passengers stranded after more than 2,000 flights were grounded and several airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International, suspended operations until 18:00 local time on Monday, authorities said.

The volcano, located about 150km from Jakarta on the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted late on Friday and remained seismically active through the weekend, producing lava fountains and sending ash toward Jakarta and Lampung province.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG reported ash plumes reaching up to 6,000m on the Java side and 15,000m on the Sumatra side and parts of Banten. The Geological Agency warned the probability of further eruptions remains high.

Long queues formed at Soekarno-Hatta as passengers sought refunds and flight updates. Some travelers said outbound flights were delayed by several days, while schools in affected areas moved classes online and some shipping operations were disrupted.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said airport authorities conducted ash-detection tests every 30 minutes to monitor whether ash spread was widening or subsiding. Officials also prohibited approaching within a 3km radius of the active crater and imposed a 3km exclusion zone for ships in the Sunda Strait. Authorities confirmed there was no tsunami warning related to the recent activity.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The eruption produced significant ash dispersal affecting airspace and airport operations, prompting repeated closures and frequent ash-detection monitoring. Passenger disruption included mass flight cancellations and extended delays, with authorities enforcing a 3km safety exclusion around the crater and at-sea zone, and confirming no tsunami warning at the time of reporting.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• About 270,000 passengers affected after more than 2,000 flights were grounded.
• Soekarno-Hatta and three other airports closed until 18:00 local time on Monday due to ash in airspace.
• BMKG reported ash heights up to 6,000m on Java side and 15,000m on Sumatra side; a 3km exclusion zone enforced around the crater.