Anak Krakatau Eruption Strands 270,000 as Airports Extend Closure

Indonesia extended airport closures Monday after an eruption affected more than 270,000 passengers, with Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport among the hubs kept shut as volcanic ash disrupted flights across western Indonesia. Several airports were scheduled to remain closed until 6:00 pm local time.

The disruption included canceled, delayed and diverted services. Passengers crowded airport counters for new bookings and refunds.

The transport ministry said its cumulative figures covered flight disruptions since September 5, 2026. One ministry statement put the total at about 2,300 flights.

The eruption began late Friday, September 4, 2026. Ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Sumatra, prompting airspace closures and operational suspensions.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the timetable remained uncertain.

“We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather”

Wind direction drove the changing decisions. Purwagandhi said information from BMKG showed the wind shifting east at 5 knots at a flight level of 15,000 feet.

“This afternoon, the wind was blowing towards the west, but now the information from BMKG is that it is blowing east, with a speed of 5 knots at a flight level of 15,000 feet”

Ash in the airspace shut eight airports at the peak

Aviation authorities detected volcanic ash around the airport area. Operators extended the suspensions after eruptive activity increased.

At the peak of the disruption, eight airports had stopped operations:

AirNav Indonesia extended the shutdowns through NOTAMs while ash remained in the airspace. Reopening estimates changed during the day for the Jakarta-area airports.

The airport operator’s notices reflected that uncertainty. One suspension covered several facilities through September 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM WIB, while a later ministerial decision extended the closure of all eight affected airports until midnight.

Flight cancellations mounted as the shutdown spread

An earlier tally showed 1,558 canceled flights across the affected airports. The Jakarta hub accounted for 963 of those cancellations.

That earlier count left about 170,000 passengers stranded. The disruption then widened.

More than 240 domestic and international flights were canceled or delayed on Monday morning alone, affecting nearly 30,000 passengers at the Jakarta airport. Garuda Indonesia canceled flights to and from the hub through noon on September 7.

Passengers queued for help. Airlines worked through refunds, rebooking and revised departure arrangements as closure estimates shifted.

The eruption also affected schools and other transport activity. Schools in ash-affected areas moved temporarily to online learning, while shipping and transport services faced disruption.

Six alternate airports offered landing options for Jakarta-bound aircraft

The ministry prepared six alternative airports for aircraft originally scheduled to land in Jakarta. The sites included locations in East Java, Central Java and Yogyakarta.

Those airports gave airlines additional landing options while Jakarta-area facilities remained closed. Passengers still had to coordinate new itineraries with their carriers.

The alternatives formed part of the government’s response to diverted and canceled flights. Airport closure notices continued to change as aviation officials tracked ash and wind conditions.

The eruption left a three-kilometer safety zone around the crater

The Geological Agency said on September 7 that further eruptions remained possible in the coming days.

“The probability of additional eruptions in the coming days remains high”

The agency identified volcanic bombs, heavy ashfall and possible lava flows as hazards if sustained eruptive activity resumed.

“The main hazards include volcanic bombs, heavy ashfall and possible lava flows if sustained eruptive activity resumes”

Authorities maintained a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater. They also said there was no tsunami warning.

The aviation danger came from ash in the airspace. Aircraft operators used the ash readings, eruptive activity and wind direction when assessing whether service could resume.

PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia said several airports operated by the company, known as InJourney Airports, had suspended flight operations through September 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM WIB.

“In connection with the increasing eruptive activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, several airports operated by PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports) have suspended flight operations until September 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM WIB”

Purwagandhi later said all eight affected airports would remain closed until midnight. The competing notices left reopening dependent on the next assessment of ash and weather conditions.