Indonesia Cancels All Flights at Jakarta Airport as Anak Krakatau Erupts

Anak Krakatau erupted early Sunday and sent ash across parts of western Indonesia, forcing Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta to suspend flight operations temporarily.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, showed signs of activity on Saturday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. No casualties were reported, and authorities issued no evacuation order. The nearest settlement lies more than 16 kilometers away, but residents and visitors were told to remain at least three kilometers from the crater.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said ash spread over parts of Jakarta and Lampung province, at the southern end of Sumatra. The airport said it suspended flights from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. because of the increased activity.

Passengers at the country’s busiest airport sought refunds and collected checked luggage as the departure boards filled with canceled flights. Indonesia’s volcanology agency and Australia’s Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre used satellite images to identify two ash clouds.

One plume rose to 6,100 meters and moved northeast over parts of Jakarta, Banten and West Java, as well as surrounding waters. A second cloud reached 15,200 meters and moved west and northwest over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.

The eruption recalled Anak Krakatau’s explosive collapse in 2018, which triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.

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Due to increased activity from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.