Flights canceled and airports closed after Anak Krakatau eruption in Indonesia

Anak Krakatau erupted for 30 seconds early Sunday, sending volcanic ash across western Indonesia and forcing the cancellation of flights at Jakarta International Airport and other domestic airports.

Indonesia's Geological Agency said the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had shown signs of activity since Friday. Closed-circuit camera footage captured lava flares. No casualties were reported, and authorities issued no evacuation order. The nearest settlement lies more than 16 kilometers from the volcano, while officials told residents and visitors to remain at least three kilometers from the active crater.

Ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, as well as four other airports, including Radin Inten II in Lampung. By mid-afternoon, the closures had affected 516 flight movements. Soekarno-Hatta alone accounted for 202 movements and about 22,800 passengers. The airport was ordered to remain closed until at least 5:30 p.m.

The eruption also disrupted services at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and in Medan. Indonesia's volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds in satellite imagery. One rose to 6,100 meters and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java and nearby waters. The second reached 15,200 meters and spread over Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait and parts of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.

Lana Saria, head of the Geological Agency, said activity had intensified since July and that Sunday's eruption was the strongest in the current period of unrest. She said repeated eruptions indicated an ongoing supply of magma and volcanic gases, although officials could not predict whether a larger eruption would follow. Lukman F. Laisa, the civil aviation director general, said authorities were coordinating with airlines, airports, air navigation services and the meteorology agency. “Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” he said, warning that aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity could face cascading disruption.

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Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision.