Anak Krakatau ash disrupts 2,961 flights and strands 341,000 passengers

Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted 2,961 flights and left about 341,000 passengers stranded as Indonesia extended the closure of seven regional airports.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the disruption involved cancellations, delays and rerouted flights. Of the affected flights, 2,339 were domestic and 622 were international, he said on Monday afternoon.

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By Monday afternoon, 2,961 flights had been affected by changes in airport operations due to the spread of volcanic ash, consisting of 2,339 domestic flights and 622 international flights.

The closures, extended until 11:59 p.m. local time, cover major airports in Java and Sumatra. They include Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta; Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas in Lampung; Pondok Cabe and Budiarto in Banten; and Husein Sastranegara in West Java.

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We are taking a conservative approach because wind conditions are very dynamic. We want to ensure that volcanic ash moves away from the airports around Anak Krakatau.

Dudy said the extension reflected a cautious approach to flight safety because winds remained highly changeable and could carry ash clouds toward nearby airports. “We are taking a conservative approach because wind conditions are very dynamic. We want to ensure that volcanic ash moves away from the airports around Anak Krakatau,” he said.

Initial tests of ash deposits at some airside facilities were negative, but officials said the airports would remain closed pending formal clearance from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Darwin, Australia. Ground crews are inspecting and cleaning runways, taxiways and aprons, while airlines are checking aircraft engines and fuselages for ash particles. “We are ensuring that everything runs smoothly, and we do not want to overlook safety,” Dudy said.

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We are ensuring that everything runs smoothly, and we do not want to overlook safety.