Eight Indonesian Airports Remain Shut After Anak Krakatau Eruption

Eight Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early Monday as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau disrupted flights and spread across the capital and nearby areas.

The volcano, located between Java and Sumatra, erupted late Friday. The transport ministry said the resulting cancellations had affected 170,000 people. The airports were initially due to remain closed until 8:59 a.m. local time, but Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport later updated the closure to 6 p.m.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said authorities could not determine when the disruption would end because of changing weather conditions. Singapore Airlines cancelled 18 Monday flights, with departure times ranging from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., as well as another flight from Jakarta scheduled for Tuesday.

Indonesia’s volcano monitoring agency recorded the latest eruption on Sunday evening. The meteorological agency BMKG said ash had reached 6,000 metres on the Java side of the volcano and 15,000 metres on the Sumatra side and parts of Banten province.

The disaster agency advised people to wear masks outdoors. Schools in Jakarta and Lampung switched to remote learning to reduce health risks for students. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently. Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau,” emerged about a century ago from the area once occupied by the volcano known as Krakatoa.

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