Eight Indonesian airports closed after weekend volcanic eruptions

Anak Krakatoa’s ash clouds have thrown Indonesia’s air network into disarray, closing eight airports and delaying 2,300 flights since Sunday. The disruption has affected about 270,000 passengers on domestic and international routes.

Jakarta’s airport will remain closed to air traffic at least until 6 p.m. on Monday, alongside six other airports. Indonesia’s transport minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, warned that changing weather conditions did not guarantee a return to normal operations. So far, only one of the eight initially affected airports, in Sumatra, has resumed normal service.

Ash and smoke from Anak Krakatoa rose to 15,000 meters over eastern Sumatra and 6,000 meters over western Java. Poor visibility at Jakarta, the archipelago’s main aviation hub, forced several flights to divert to western Java and Bali. At the capital’s international airport, 24-year-old Carlos Zabala told Reuters that the first leg of his return flight to Spain had been delayed and complained about the lack of clear information: “They only tell us that we have to wait and wait and wait.”

A layer of ash covered many windshields in Jakarta, where air quality had already been worsening for a month because of devastating fires in Borneo. The capital began the week by replacing in-person classes with videoconferencing as reports of coughing increased, while authorities advised residents to wear masks.

Anak Krakatoa, which has shown signs of activity since July, erupted late Friday, sending incandescent rocks 700 meters into the air and producing a lava flow on the uninhabited island in the Sunda Strait. The volcanology agency said the possibility of further activity remained high. The volcano is one of the successors to Krakatoa, whose 1883 eruption became one of the largest ever recorded.

“

They only tell us that we have to wait and wait and wait.