Anak Krakatau eruption expands airport closures to eight

Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau has forced Indonesia to temporarily close eight airports, disrupting flights across Jakarta, Banten, Lampung and South Sumatra.

The affected airports include Soekarno-Hatta in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung and Husein Sastranegara in Bandung. Budiarto in Curug, Pondok Cabe in South Tangerang, Taufik Kiemas in Pesisir Barat and Atung Bungsu in Pagar Alam are also closed.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said authorities confirmed the presence of volcanic ash in the airspace through meteorological paper tests. He asked flight operators to put safety first while giving passengers fast, accurate and transparent information about cancellations, schedule changes and diversions.

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Most importantly, airlines must guarantee passenger rights to ticket refunds so people are not left waiting, as many travelers still hope they can fly.

Airlines could redirect flights to Kertajati, Semarang, Surabaya or Yogyakarta. The minister also told carriers to ensure refunds and other passenger rights, and advised travelers not to go to affected terminals during the suspension. “Most importantly, airlines must guarantee passenger rights to ticket refunds so people are not left waiting, as many travelers still hope they can fly,” Dudy said.

He added that the airports were unlikely to reopen soon because the closure period remained unpredictable. “We will resume operations once we can guarantee that safety conditions are clear,” he said.

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We will resume operations once we can guarantee that safety conditions are clear.