Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was temporarily closed following a sustained eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau, disrupting hundreds of flights across the region. The volcanic activity, which began late Friday night, cast ash over the aviation hub, making it the second-busiest airport in Southeast Asia by seat capacity.
According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the volcano entered a phase of continuous eruption at 11:07 p.m. local time on Friday. The event lasted approximately 25 hours before ceasing at 12:04 a.m. on Sunday. Despite the pause in ejections, officials warned that the potential for further eruptions remains high, citing hazards such as incandescent rock projectiles, heavy ashfall, and possible lava flows.
Aviation authorities suspended operations at Soekarno-Hatta due to the dense ash clouds. By Sunday morning, at least 373 flights had been affected, with 202 disruptions recorded at Jakarta’s terminal alone, including 167 cancellations. The closures were extended multiple times throughout Sunday as conditions failed to improve.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency reported that volcanic ash was detected at altitudes ranging from 20,000 feet moving eastward to 50,000 feet drifting west. The ash plume covered Jakarta and surrounding areas, extending as far as the Indian Ocean.
The travel chaos spilled over into Monday, impacting regional carriers. Singapore Airlines canceled nine scheduled flights between Singapore and Jakarta, while its budget subsidiary, Scoot, also suspended services on the route. Passengers were seen queuing for refunds at Terminal 1C of the airport as airlines adjusted their schedules.
Anak Krakatau remains under a Level III “Alert” status, with authorities maintaining a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater. Officials continue to monitor the situation closely as travelers face ongoing uncertainty.
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