Ash cloud engulfs Indonesia: Flights grounded, thousands stranded on roads

Anak Krakatau's eruptions have thrown Indonesia's air travel into disarray. More than 2,000 flights were canceled, leaving about 270,000 passengers unable to travel as volcanic ash spread toward Jakarta and Lampung.

The volcano, about 150 kilometres from the capital, began erupting on Friday night and remained seismically active through the weekend. Volcanic ash was detected in the airspace around Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and three other airports, forcing operations to stop. Closures were extended until 6 p.m. local time on Monday, while Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said winds were still carrying the ash and officials could not yet predict when the airports would fully reopen.

Authorities said they were taking measurements at the airports about every 30 minutes to monitor whether the ash cloud was expanding. Long queues formed at Soekarno-Hatta as canceled passengers sought refunds and information about replacement flights. Finna, a 46-year-old trying to return to Jakarta from Malang in East Java, abandoned air travel after repeated delays and reached the capital before dawn on Monday by taking two intercity trains.

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The volcanic ash is continuing to move with the wind, so it is not yet possible to predict when the airports will fully reopen.

International flights were also affected. A newly married Malaysian couple honeymooning in Bali learned that their flight back to Kuala Lumpur had been postponed until Sept. 11. Amir Hamzah, 29, said their holiday budget was limited and they had not expected to be stranded in Indonesia for days.

Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency said ash had risen to about 6,000 metres toward Java and 15,000 metres toward Sumatra. The Geological Agency warned that further eruptions were highly possible. Authorities barred people and ships from entering a three-kilometre zone around the active crater, while some maritime services were disrupted and schools moved classes online. They said the latest activity had not prompted a tsunami warning.

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We did not expect to be stranded in Indonesia for days.