Volcanic eruption halts all flights at Jakarta airport

A 30-second eruption at Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano disrupted air travel in Jakarta after volcanic ash spread across the country’s western regions.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency, which operates under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said the volcano in the Sunda Strait had shown signs of activity since Friday. The eruption occurred at 3:53 a.m. Closed-circuit camera footage showed flashes of lava at the volcano.

No deaths were reported, and authorities did not issue an evacuation order. They warned residents and visitors to stay at least 3 kilometers from the active crater. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said ash had spread to parts of Jakarta and Lampung province in southern Sumatra.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia’s busiest airport, temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. because of the increased volcanic activity. Many passengers sought refunds, while some collected checked baggage they had already handed over.

The disruption affected 209 flights and about 22,800 passengers, including heavily used domestic services to Makassar in South Sulawesi. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was closely monitoring the impact on air transport and coordinating with airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorological agency.