TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia resumed operations at Jakarta’s main airport along with several regional airports on Tuesday following a disruption caused by volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau. The air travel industry experienced delays, cancellations, or diversions affecting over 340,000 travelers. Almost 3,000 flights across Indonesia were influenced by the ash cloud. After wind conditions cleared the ash from critical aviation zones, authorities reopened Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Anak Krakatau remained active on Tuesday, with monitoring stations recording three smaller eruptions during the morning hours.
The Ministry of Transportation announced that Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara airports resumed their normal operations at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport restarted at 2:25 a.m., while Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra had reopened earlier on Monday morning. Meanwhile, Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas airports in Lampung are still awaiting further assessment, according to the latest official transport update. Before resuming regular flights, airport authorities mandated safety inspections of aircraft.
The closures were triggered when Anak Krakatau released volcanic ash that blanketed the airspace over Jakarta and nearby areas. During the disruption, eight airports halted operations, including Indonesia’s busiest international gateway at Soekarno-Hatta. Volcanic ash poses a significant threat to aviation safety as it can damage engines and impair visibility. Consequently, authorities restricted aircraft from entering monitored zones with ash presence. The disruption affected both domestic and international flight schedules, prompting airlines to modify departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements across affected airports.
Major airports reopen following ash clearance
Anak Krakatau’s recent phase of continuous activity started late Friday in the Sunda Strait, between Java and Sumatra. The eruptive episode began at 11:07 p.m. on Friday and ended shortly after midnight on Sunday, lasting approximately 25 hours. Monitoring systems detected subsequent Strombolian eruptions after the main activity ceased. Initial ash plumes reached altitudes near 50,000 feet in some regions, dispersing volcanic debris across western Indonesia and interfering with key flight corridors.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III, which is Indonesia’s second-highest alert level for volcanoes. Authorities established a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active core. Officials advised residents in affected areas to limit outdoor activities or wear masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were instructed to follow official guidance and dismiss unverified tsunami warnings. The volcano’s seismic and eruptive activity continued to be monitored even after the extended eruption ended over the weekend.
Air travel disruptions impact hundreds of thousands
On Tuesday, the three smaller eruptions occurred amid ongoing efforts to address the aftermath of the multi-day shutdown. Authorities mandated inspections of aircraft that remained grounded throughout the closure. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft needed airworthiness evaluations before returning to service. Pilots and crews received guidance on navigating restricted airspace with volcanic ash. These measures coincided with the reopening of airports after officials determined conditions had improved sufficiently for flight operations to resume.
Situated in the Sunda Strait, Anak Krakatau is an active volcanic island that emerged from the Krakatau volcanic complex. Its activity intensified during 2026, with eruptions recorded since July. The volcano also experienced a significant collapse during a December 2018 eruption, which triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts over 100 active volcanoes, as it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire’s major tectonic boundaries, where earthquakes and eruptions are frequent occurrences.
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