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Ash grounds Jakarta flights
Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait halted flights and disrupted daily life across western Indonesia, with Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspending flight operations until 11:59 p.m. due to volcanic ash.
“Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations until 11:59 p.m.”
Reuters reported that the suspension, extended several times, affected 964 flights in Jakarta’s main airport alone, stranding hundreds of passengers at the facility.
The transport ministry said total affected flights across the eight airports reached more than 1,500 flights with 170,000 passengers, while BMKG posted that ash reached as high as 20,000 feet on the Java side and 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side.
At the airport, passenger Ersy Laksita Rini, 55, said her 8 a.m. flight to Surabaya had been cancelled and told Reuters, "If the eruption happened last night and there were predictions of flight cancellations, we should have been notified from the start."
BNPB said it would conduct a weather modification operation, which could include cloud-seeding, and BNPB chief Suharyanto said, "If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly."
Airspace closures and alerts
Indonesia’s transport ministry said the ash spread far enough to force authorities to suspend operations at eight airports, with the BBC reporting that 1,558 flights were delayed and airports remained closed until midnight.
The BBC said the pause in operations mainly affected flights to and from Singapore and other international routes including Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, while Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi urged airlines to speed up refunding and provide timely information.
In a separate account, Al Jazeera said Soekarno-Hatta International Airport halted operations until 5:30 p.m. local time and that the suspension affected 301 flights, including 58 international services, according to airport operator Angkasa Pura.
Al Jazeera also quoted BNPB chief Suharyanto telling a news conference, "If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly," as authorities prepared measures such as cloud-seeding.
The BBC described the eruption’s reach in aviation terms, noting that ash reached as far as 20,000ft on Java and 50,000ft on the Sumatra side, while authorities confirmed there was no tsunami warning linked to the recent activity.
Schools, fishing, and health
Beyond aviation, the eruption disrupted schools and fishing, with Reuters saying several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents suffered eye irritations from the ash and fishermen cancelled fishing trips.
“"urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance"”
The BBC similarly reported that Kompas said several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents reported eye irritations from the ash, while some fishermen cancelled fishing trips at sea.
In the same Reuters report, BNPB spokesperson Berton Panjaitan urged the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance, advising that in the event of ashfall people should wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving.
A resident quoted by the BBC, Aldi Candra Prayogi, described the irritation in vivid terms, telling Kompas that it felt like "small grains of sand had gotten into my eyes" and that he needed to use eye drops to ease the irritation.
The stakes extended to broader hazard planning, with Reuters noting Anak Krakatau had been on alert level 3 since July 2 and that BNPB said there was no imminent risk of tsunami from the volcano, even as Indonesia’s Geological Agency and disaster authorities monitored ongoing activity.