Indonesia Cancels Flights at Jakarta Airport After Anak Krakatau Erupts

A 30-second eruption by Anak Krakatau early Sunday brought air travel across parts of Indonesia to a halt. Volcanic ash drifted over western Indonesia, forcing the cancellation of flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupting services at other airports.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had shown signs of activity since Friday. The eruption began at 3:53 a.m. Closed-circuit footage showed lava flares from the volcanic island. No casualties were reported, and authorities issued no evacuation order. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers from the volcano, while officials told residents and visitors to stay at least three kilometers from the active crater.

Ash reached parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra’s southern tip. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, along with four other airports, including Radin Inten II in Lampung. The eruption also disrupted flights at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and in Medan.

By mid-afternoon, the closures had affected 516 flight movements. Soekarno-Hatta accounted for 202 of them, affecting about 22,800 passengers. The airport was ordered to remain closed until at least 5:30 p.m. Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorology agency. “Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” said Lukman F. Laisa, the ministry’s director general of civil aviation. He warned that disruptions could spread through aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity as airlines restore service.

Satellite imagery identified two ash clouds. One rose to 20,000 feet and moved northeast across Jakarta, Banten, West Java and nearby waters. A second reached 50,000 feet and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu, the southern Sunda Strait and the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.

Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said Anak Krakatau’s 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 beneath the volcano, but officials could not predict whether a larger eruption would follow.

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Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision.