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Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau Erupts, Stranding Thousands as Flights Are Cancelled

From Global News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Anak Krakatau erupted for 30 seconds, sending ash across parts of western Indonesia and prompting the closure of airspace around several airports.
  • The disruption affected 467 flight movements and about 150,000 passengers at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport alone.
  • No casualties or evacuation orders were reported, but authorities told residents and visitors to stay at least three kilometres from the active crater.

Anak Krakatau erupted early Sunday, forcing the cancellation of flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupting air travel across western Indonesia.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency said the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had shown signs of activity since Friday. It erupted for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m., while closed-circuit footage showed lava flares from the volcanic island.

It’s of course an inconvenience. I was supposed to get input from the airline … but so far no news.

· Diego UrdialesThe Spanish tourist described the effect of the airport closure on his planned flight home to Madrid.

No casualties were reported and authorities issued no evacuation order. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometres away, but residents and visitors were warned to remain at least three kilometres from the active crater.

Volcanic ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra’s southern tip. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, as well as six other airports, including Radin Inten II in Lampung. Services were also disrupted at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and in Medan.

It’s a natural disaster, it’s a force majeure, so, what can we do? We just have to accept it and wait for the airline and airport directions.

· Michele GouwThe Indonesian passenger said travelers had to wait for guidance after the eruption disrupted flights.

By Sunday evening, the Soekarno-Hatta closure had affected 467 flight movements and about 150,000 passengers. The airport was ordered to remain closed until at least 9:30 p.m. Spanish tourist Diego Urdiales said he was due to fly to Madrid but had received no update from his airline. Indonesian passenger Michele Gouw said travelers had to accept the situation and wait for instructions.

Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was monitoring the eruption and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorology agency. “Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” civil aviation director general Lukman F. Laisa said. He warned that restoring service could create cascading disruptions involving aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity. Satellite imagery identified two ash clouds, one rising to 20,000 feet and another reaching 50,000 feet, as the volcano remained active.

Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision.

· Lukman F. LaisaIndonesia’s director general of civil aviation explained the authorities’ approach to managing the eruption’s impact on air travel.
About this summary

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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