Eight Indonesian airports remain closed as Anak Krakatau ash disrupts flights

Eight Indonesian airports remained shut early Monday as ash from Mount Anak Krakatau continued to disrupt flights, including at two airports serving Jakarta. The transport ministry said about 170,000 people had been affected by cancellations.

Jakarta’s main airport was due to remain closed until 6 p.m. local time, its operators said on Instagram. Seven other airports, including those serving the nearby provinces of Lampung and West Java, were to remain closed until at least 8:59 a.m.

“We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather,” Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in a statement. The volcano monitoring agency reported that the latest eruption occurred Sunday evening and warned that “the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high.”

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We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather.

Ash from the volcano, which lies between Java and Sumatra, reached as high as 20,000 feet over Java and 50,000 feet over Sumatra and parts of Banten province, according to the meteorological agency BMKG. Authorities urged people to wear masks outdoors, while schools in Jakarta and Lampung shifted to remote learning to reduce health risks.

Anak Krakatau, meaning child of Krakatau, emerged from the area of the volcano formerly known as Krakatoa. The older volcano destroyed itself in eruptions in 1883, triggering tsunamis that killed more than 36,000 people.

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The probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high.