Anak Krakatau eruption forces cancellation of 301 flights in Indonesia

The eruption of Anak Krakatau brought Indonesia’s main international airport to a standstill, with 301 flights canceled and tens of thousands of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport.

The disruption began after volcanic ash was detected in airspace near the airport on Sunday morning. Flights were delayed or postponed, and the airport operator Angkasa Pura said the suspension affected 58 international services. Singapore Airlines canceled flights to and from Jakarta through the end of Sunday, while Australia’s Qantas reported disruptions, including the cancellation of its Jakarta flights that day.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency said Saturday’s eruption produced lava and booming sounds that could be heard as far as 700 kilometers away. The eruption also disrupted classes at some schools and affected fishing operations. Two more eruptions were recorded on Sunday.

The meteorological agency BMKG said the ash rose to 6,000 meters on the volcano’s Java-facing side and to 15,000 meters on its Sumatra-facing side and in parts of Banten province on Java. Volcanic ash can damage jet engines by sticking to hot internal components, rapidly wearing down turbine blades and clogging fuel and air systems. It can also damage cockpit windshields.