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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Energy & Infrastructure

Transport Ministry prepares alternative airports as volcanic ash closes several facilities

From Republika · () Indonesian

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

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau forced the continued temporary closure of seven airports in parts of Sumatra and Java until 6 p.m. local time on Sept. 7, officials said.
  • The Transport Ministry is adjusting flight operations and preparing alternative airports while monitoring ash conditions and aviation safety information.
  • About 2,300 flights and 270,337 passengers had been affected since Sept. 5 through cancellations, delays or diversions, according to ministry data.

Indonesia’s Transport Ministry is preparing alternative airports as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau continues to disrupt air travel across parts of Sumatra and Java.

Seven airports remained closed until 6 p.m. local time on Monday, Sept. 7, according to an operational update issued at 9 a.m. The affected facilities were Soekarno-Hatta, Radin Inten II, Budiarto, Halim Perdanakusuma, Pondok Cabe, Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas and Husein Sastranegara airports.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the closures would continue based on the latest information from Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency, or BMKG. “Based on the latest data from BMKG, we have decided that the temporary closure of airport operations will continue until 6 p.m. However, we continue to monitor the latest information from BMKG. If there are changes, we will immediately inform the public,” he said while visiting Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Tangerang, Banten.

Based on the latest data from BMKG, we have decided that the temporary closure of airport operations will continue until 6 p.m. However, we continue to monitor the latest information from BMKG. If there are changes, we will immediately inform the public.

· Dudy PurwagandhiIndonesia’s transport minister explained why airport closures would continue on Sept. 7.

Dudy said flight operations were being adjusted dynamically according to conditions on the ground and the movement of the ash cloud. Ash remained visible at two altitude layers, reaching up to 15,000 feet and 50,000 feet, potentially affecting flight routes.

Mount Anak Krakatau erupted again overnight, producing fresh volcanic dust. Dudy said BMKG had detected winds moving in different directions across several atmospheric layers, allowing ash to remain around airports near the volcano. Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, which had also been closed, resumed normal operations at 9 a.m.

By 9 a.m. Monday, the disruption had affected about 2,300 flights and 270,337 passengers since Sept. 5. The figure includes canceled, delayed and diverted flights. Of those, 1,397 flights and about 177,579 passengers were linked to airports under temporary closure, according to the ministry’s partial figures.

Last night, Mount Anak Krakatau erupted again, producing new volcanic dust.

· Dudy PurwagandhiThe minister described the latest eruption and its effect on nearby airports.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. 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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