Anak Krakatau Ash Disrupts 624 Flights at Soekarno-Hatta Airport

Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced delays to 624 flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, affecting an estimated 75,236 passengers in Tangerang, Banten.

The disruption involved 461 domestic flights, 156 international flights and seven cargo services. AirNav Indonesia extended the temporary closure of the airport’s airspace until 11:59 p.m. local time on Monday, September 7.

Yudistiawan, the airport operator’s assistant deputy for communications and legal affairs, said airlines had been notifying passengers. Garuda Indonesia announced that it would suspend operations for the day, and other carriers were expected to do the same. Departure schedules remained indefinite because safety would determine when flights could resume.

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Airlines have been notifying their prospective passengers. Garuda Indonesia, for instance, has announced it is suspending operations today, and we believe other carriers are doing the same.

To reduce congestion at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, the airport deployed free buses for passengers willing to travel overland. The buses were scheduled to take travelers to major cities across Java, including Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Surabaya, with departures at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Airport management also distributed free food and drinks and converted an employee lounge in Terminal 3 into a temporary rest area with 60 beds. Yudistiawan urged prospective passengers to follow official updates from their airlines and the airport, and advised them to stay home until Soekarno-Hatta officially resumed normal operations.

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We strongly urge all prospective passengers to monitor official updates through their respective airlines and the airport’s communication channels.