Indonesian authorities closed four airports and cancelled dozens of flights after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau spread across parts of Java and Sumatra, disrupting travel for around 23,000 passengers. The Transport Ministry confirmed the closures, which included the temporary shutdown of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta from 1.30 am Sunday local time (1830 GMT Saturday).
The disruption affects one of Indonesia's busiest aviation hubs and underscores the ongoing risk posed by Anak Krakatau, which has remained at an elevated alert level since July. The closures highlight how volcanic activity in the Sunda Strait can quickly ripple through the country's air transport network, forcing authorities to ground flights and reroute travelers.
The Transport Ministry identified four facilities closed after volcanic ash was detected in their areas:
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport had earlier been temporarily closed since 1.30 am Sunday. A total of 33 flights were cancelled due to the closure of Soekarno-Hatta alone, and around 23,000 passengers were affected overall.
Anak Krakatau is located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The volcano has remained at Level III since July 2, the second-highest level in Indonesia's four-tier volcano alert system. Authorities have maintained a 3-kilometer (2-mile) exclusion zone around the volcano.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to more than 120 active volcanoes, making volcanic ash a recurring hazard for the country's aviation sector. Eruptions frequently prompt temporary airport closures as authorities assess ash movement and its impact on flight safety.
Authorities said they continued to monitor the movement of the volcanic ash and were coordinating with airport operators, AirNav Indonesia and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. Around 170 aircraft that had remained overnight on the apron at Soekarno-Hatta were confirmed safe.
Director of Earthquakes and Tsunamis Wilya Yanto said continuous eruptive activity, including repeated ejections of lava, was still being observed Sunday morning, although the frequency had decreased.
Monitoring of the ash movement remains ongoing, with authorities coordinating across airport operators and national agencies. No timeline has been confirmed for reopening the affected airports, and further flight disruptions remain possible as officials track the volcano's activity and weather conditions.
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