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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Energy & Infrastructure

Closures extended at eight Indonesian airports as Anak Krakatau ash cloud disrupts flights

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Indonesia extended the closure of eight airports after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau spread across airspace over Java and Sumatra.
  • Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said changing winds at different altitudes made the ash distribution difficult to predict and prevented authorities from confirming when operations could resume.
  • Anak Krakatau has remained at Alert Level III since July 2, 2026, while authorities continue monitoring the eruption and its effects on aviation.

Indonesia has extended the closure of eight airports as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau continues to spread through the airspace over Java and Sumatra. The government says it cannot safely reopen the airports while conditions remain so changeable.

The affected airports are Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma near Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, Budiarto in Curug, Pondok Cabe in South Tangerang, Taufik Kiemas in West Lampung and Atung Bungsu in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra. Soekarno-Hatta’s closure was extended until 8:59 a.m. on Monday, September 7, under NOTAM A3368/26, which replaced A3355/26. The other closures will change according to ash levels and airspace monitoring.

“Safety is our priority. We are looking at the latest situation based on information provided by BMKG. We cannot yet confirm when it will end because the weather is too dynamic,” Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in Jakarta on Sunday night. He said wind direction was changing quickly at different altitude layers, making the ash cloud’s movement difficult to establish.

Safety is our priority. We are looking at the latest situation based on information provided by BMKG. We cannot yet confirm when it will end because the weather is too dynamic.

· Dudy PurwagandhiIndonesia’s transport minister explained why the airport closures remained in place.

Anak Krakatau’s activity in the Sunda Strait has increased. The Geological Agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has kept the volcano at Alert Level III since July 2, 2026. Strombolian eruptions have continued to produce glowing material and volcanic ash, while activity intensified late on September 5 with a sustained eruption, rumbling sounds and a lava fountain.

Authorities initially closed several airports as a precaution, but the number affected rose to eight as the ash spread. The Transport Ministry and aviation authorities are using field observations, meteorological information and paper tests conducted every 30 minutes at affected airports. The minister previously said the closures had affected thousands of flights, but the government maintains that safety cannot be compromised.

BMKG said that wind direction at each altitude layer changes quickly, so this is what we have to make sure of.

· Dudy PurwagandhiHe described the difficulty of predicting how volcanic ash would move through the airspace.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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