Indonesia Conducts Volcanic Ash Tests Every 30 Minutes at All Airports

Indonesia is testing for volcanic ash every 30 minutes at airports across the country as officials track whether ash from Mount Anak Krakatau is spreading beyond the eight airports already closed.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the checks cover all airports, with particular attention to those east of the affected area. The intensified monitoring followed a government review involving the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency, known as BMKG, and aviation stakeholders, based on weather conditions observed on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 6, 2026.

"We are monitoring continuously; every 30 minutes, we conduct paper tests at all airports, not just the eight affected ones, but all airports, particularly those to the east, to anticipate whether the ash spread is widening or subsiding," Dudy said in Jakarta on Sunday.

He said winds had shifted from west to east at five knots at an altitude of 15,000 feet. The change increased concern that the ash could spread further and affect flight operations in other regions.

Following a joint evaluation, the Transportation Ministry temporarily closed Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta and Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung. The closures also covered Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, Budiarto Airport in Curug, Pondok Cabe Airport in South Tangerang, Taufik Kiemas Airport in West Pesisir, Lampung, and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra. The closures were set to remain in place until midnight Western Indonesian Time.

Dudy said the paper tests had also been extended to airports along the ash's projected path so the government could make immediate operational decisions. Monitoring results are updated every four hours using information from BMKG, airport operators, AirNav and other agencies.

The latest tests at all eight affected airports still showed volcanic ash, meaning flights could not resume. Dudy instructed Angkasa Pura, BMKG and other stakeholders to provide continuous updates, while stressing that decisions to reopen or close airports would depend on field monitoring and that flight safety remained the priority.

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We are monitoring continuously; every 30 minutes, we conduct paper tests at all airports, not just the eight affected ones, but all airports, particularly those to the east, to anticipate whether the ash spread is widening or subsiding.