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🇸🇬 Singapore /Energy & Infrastructure

Jakarta Airport Suspends Flights as Anak Krakatau Ash Disrupts Travel

From CNA · () English

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

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flights until Sunday morning after ash from Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption reached the airport.
  • Indonesia’s transportation ministry said 209 flights were affected, including international services, while Singapore Airlines cancelled or delayed several Jakarta flights.
  • Authorities urged residents to use masks and eye protection, while schools and fishing trips were disrupted; officials said there was no imminent tsunami risk.

Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced Jakarta’s main airport to suspend operations until 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, extending an earlier halt scheduled to end at 5:30 a.m. The transportation ministry said the disruption affected 209 flights.

The suspended or disrupted services included flights to and from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Doha. Singapore Airlines cancelled two Jakarta flights on Saturday. It rescheduled a third Jakarta-bound flight for Sunday afternoon and delayed a Sunday morning flight from Jakarta to Singapore until 3:50 p.m. The airline warned that other services between Singapore and Indonesia could also be affected while conditions remained fluid.

Mount Anak Krakatau has erupted since late Friday. Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, said ash reached as high as 6,000 meters on the Java side of the volcano, while a plume reached up to 15,000 meters on the Sumatra side and parts of Banten province in Java.

As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected.

· Singapore AirlinesThe airline warned passengers that further flight disruptions were possible.

The volcano lies roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia’s Pacific Ring of Fire. The disaster mitigation agency urged people to remain calm but increase their vigilance. Its advice included wearing masks and eye protection, limiting outdoor activity, covering water sources and driving carefully because ash can reduce visibility.

Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday, and local media reported eye irritation among students and residents. Fishermen also cancelled trips. The disaster agency said there was no imminent tsunami risk from the eruption, although Anak Krakatau has a deadly history. An eruption in 2018 triggered a tsunami that killed and injured hundreds on Java and Sumatra.

Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau,” emerged about a century ago from the area once occupied by Krakatau. The earlier volcano was destroyed in 1883 after eruptions and tsunamis killed more than 36,000 people.

The disaster mitigation agency urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance.

· Berton PanjaitanThe agency spokesperson gave public safety advice during the ash disruption.
About this summary

Originally published by CNA 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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