Soekarno-Hatta Airport closure extended until 9:30 a.m. after volcanic ash detected

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang will remain closed until 9:30 a.m. on Sunday after testing indicated volcanic ash in the airport area.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation initially ordered the airport closed from 1:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. local time. The decision followed a paper test conducted between 12:35 a.m. and 1:05 a.m. The closure was later extended, airport communications official Aziz Harahap said.

The ash resulted from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau early Saturday. Monitoring data recorded at 10 p.m. on Sept. 5 showed that 33 flights had been affected at Soekarno-Hatta.

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Extend it, sir, until 9:30 a.m.

International services included 16 cancellations, seven delays and five rescheduled flights. The affected routes connected the airport with Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul and Incheon, Doha, Amsterdam, and Kuala Lumpur. Domestic operations included four cancellations and one diverted flight, affecting services to or from Lampung and flights to Denpasar and Surabaya.

Aviation authorities said they were focusing on restoring the Sept. 6 schedule while accounting for possible cascading effects on aircraft rotations, fleet availability, subsequent flights and terminal capacity. Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa said airlines would continue adjusting operations as conditions developed, with safety remaining the main priority.

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Safety remains the main priority in every operational decision, including flight-schedule adjustments made by airlines.