Early Sunday morning, the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted twice, sending ash plumes up to 50,000 feet across western Indonesia. In response, AirNav Indonesia closed the airspace around Jakarta’s Soekarno‑Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, and six additional regional airports, including Lampung’s Radin Inten II.
Flight disruptions and passenger impact
The shutdown halted 467 scheduled flights at Soekarno‑Hatta alone, stranding an estimated 150,000 passengers. The airport remained closed until 11:59 p.m. that day. Travelers like Diego Urdiales, a Spanish tourist heading home to Madrid, described the situation as “an inconvenience,” while Indonesian passenger Michele Gouw called it a “force majeure” that must be accepted.
Safety measures and official response
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it is closely monitoring the eruption’s impact and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services, and the meteorology agency. “Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” said Lukman F. Laisa, the ministry’s director general of civil aviation.
Authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least three kilometers (two miles) from the active crater, though the nearest settlement lies more than 16 km (10 miles) away. No casualties have been reported, and no evacuation order was issued.
Volcanic ash spread and ongoing monitoring
Volcanic ash drifted over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and parts of Sumatra’s Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, as well as the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean. Two ash clouds were identified: one reaching 20,000 feet and another soaring to 50,000 feet.
Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, noted that activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with this eruption being the strongest in that period. While the agency cannot predict a larger eruption, it continues to evaluate the volcano’s development using all available monitoring data.
Impact on other airports
In addition to Jakarta’s airports, the eruption disrupted services at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and Medan’s airport, further affecting regional travel.
Officials emphasized that the situation remains fluid and that airlines are working to restore operations as safely and quickly as possible.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
