Anak Krakatau eruption keeps Jakarta airports closed

Anak Krakatau continues to smoke, but its ash is already disrupting Indonesia’s air network. Jakarta’s two international airports, including the key Soekarno-Hatta hub, will remain closed until at least Monday evening local time, according to authorities.

More than 1,500 flights and around 170,000 passengers have been affected, Indonesia’s Antara news agency reported, citing Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. Six smaller airports that have been closed since the weekend may or may not reopen. Bali’s airport, used by tourists from around the world, initially remained open.

“Safety is our priority,” Purwagandhi said. Changing wind directions at different altitudes have made it difficult to predict how long volcanic ash will continue to obstruct flights. Jakarta’s importance as a major Southeast Asian aviation hub has added to the disruption.

The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, became active again on Friday. Anak Krakatau means “Child of Krakatau.” The volcano formed in the caldera left by the massive 1883 Krakatau eruption, and first rose above the sea in 1929.

The 1883 eruption killed more than 36,000 people. Its thunder could be heard thousands of kilometers away and is considered the loudest sound ever recorded. Anak Krakatau itself caused another deadly disaster in 2018, when part of the volcano slid into the sea and triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people.

Authorities plan to use cloud seeding to produce artificial rain and wash ash from the atmosphere and affected areas. In Bandar Lampung on Sumatra, city officials have sprayed several main roads with water to reduce dust exposure, while residents have been told to wear masks. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has about 130 active volcanoes.

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Safety is our priority.