Jakarta flights disrupted for a second day as Anak Krakatau ash affects eight airports

Flight disruptions caused by volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau entered a second day on Sept. 7, affecting eight Indonesian airports and leaving authorities to prepare alternative facilities for a growing passenger backlog.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma and airports in Lampung, Bandung, Tangerang, South Tangerang and South Sumatra were due to remain closed until at least 6 p.m. local time. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said tests still detected ash at several airports and officials were checking conditions every 30 minutes.

“We cannot determine or ensure whether an airport is safe from the spread of ash,” Dudy told reporters. Changing wind directions at different altitudes made it difficult to predict where the ash would travel or when airports could safely reopen. Officials were also testing other airports near the affected area.

The disruption expanded sharply from the previous day. Dudy said about 2,300 flights and 263,000 passengers had been affected by 9 a.m. on Sept. 7, compared with about 1,700 flights and 170,000 passengers a day earlier. Authorities expected congestion to intensify when operations resumed, including from passengers stranded overseas, such as in Singapore.

Airlines were encouraged to use airports in Kertajati, Semarang, Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Solo. Passengers redirected to those locations would receive free bus or train transport, and eight buses had been prepared for travellers heading to Kertajati. Airports also needed runway, taxiway and apron cleaning, while aircraft would undergo checks to ensure ash had not entered their engines. Anak Krakatau, in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, began erupting on Sept. 4. The Health Ministry said fine ash particles could damage respiratory health, aggravate asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and irritate the eyes and skin. It estimated that about 3.3 million elderly people were at risk.

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We cannot determine or ensure whether an airport is safe from the spread of ash.