Technology and Science · 06 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Indonesia Suspends Flights at Soekarno-Hatta and Seven Other Airports After Anak Krakatau Eruption
Eight Indonesian airports suspended flight operations due to ash cloud from Anak Krakatau eruption. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flights, with closure extended to 8:59 am local time.
21 outlets, one story, no spin found.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: reuters reports the airport suspended operations until 11:59pm.
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Ash grounds flights
Indonesia suspended flights at its main international airport outside Jakarta and seven others after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau spread over the capital, stranding about 170,000 passengers.
“stranded about 170,000 passengers”
The closures included Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, more than 150 km (93 miles) from the volcano, which was forced to extend closure operations until 8:59 am local time (01:59 GMT) on Monday.
Across the eight affected airports, the Transportation Ministry said a total of 1,558 flights have been delayed or canceled, including more than 900 services to and from Soekarno-Hatta.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG posted that ash was identified as high as 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) on the Java side and a plume of up to 15,000 meters (50,000 ft) on the Sumatra side and in some parts of Banten Province in Java.
BNPB said there was no imminent tsunami risk and announced measures such as cloud-seeding to encourage rain to wash away the ash.
Airspace closures and warnings
The transport ministry said the pause in operations mainly affected flights to and from Singapore, with other international routes including Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, and airports remaining closed until 09:00 local time on Monday morning.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the decision to temporarily close more airports was made after tests found that volcanic ash had spread towards West Java, and he urged airlines to speed up processes for refunding tickets for passengers affected by flight cancellations.
CBS News reported that AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, as well as four other airports including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung.
By mid-afternoon local time in Jakarta, CBS News said the closure had affected 516 flight movements, with 202 in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport alone affecting about 22,800 passengers.
CBS News also quoted Lukman F. Laisa saying, "Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision," as he warned flight schedules could face cascading disruptions.
Schools, masks, and monitoring
Authorities also disrupted daily life beyond aviation, with Jakarta closing schools on Monday as classes moved online, while local reporting described schools canceling activities and fishermen canceling trips after eye irritations from the ash.
“wear face masks to protect against respiratory, eye, and skin risks”
BMKG said two new eruptions were recorded on Sunday, and the BBC reported that two more eruptions happened early on Sunday as authorities confirmed there was no tsunami warning linked to the activity.
The BBC said the health minister urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors and wear face masks to protect against respiratory, eye, and skin risks.
Reuters reported that BNPB 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."
Reuters also described passengers stuck at Soekarno-Hatta, including Ersy Laksita Rini, 55, who said she was upset when she learned 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,".