More than 270,000 people affected by airport closures in Indonesia

More than 270,000 people have been caught up in Indonesia’s disrupted air travel after the Anak Krakatau volcano erupted and ash forced several airports to close.

Indonesia’s transport ministry said about 2,300 flights had been delayed, diverted or cancelled. Seven airports remained closed on Monday morning, including two in the capital, Jakarta. The main Jakarta airport was due to stay closed until 6 p.m. local time, with six other airports facing the same timetable.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the government could not yet determine when flights would no longer be affected because the weather remained changeable. An airport in southern Sumatra had reopened.

Anak Krakatau lies between the Indonesian islands of Java and Sumatra. Its name means “child of Krakatau.” The volcano began emerging about 100 years ago in the area where Krakatau once stood. Krakatau was destroyed in a powerful 1883 eruption that triggered a series of tsunamis and killed more than 36,000 people. An eruption of Anak Krakatau caused another tsunami in 2018 that killed more than 400 people.

Indonesia has about 130 active volcanoes and sits on the seismically active Pacific belt known as the Ring of Fire, which contains active volcanoes and earthquake zones.