Flights in and out of Indonesia’s busiest airports were halted this weekend after Anak Krakatoa erupted, forcing authorities to close six airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta. More than 22,000 passengers were left stranded, while over 370 flights were canceled or delayed, disrupting travel across Southeast Asia.
Volcanic ash from the eruption drifted over runways and into airspace, prompting the Ministry of Transport to halt activity at five airports on Java: Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, Budiarto, Pondok Cabe, and Husein Sastranegara. Radin Inten in Sumatra was also closed. Announced after Friday night’s eruption, the closures remain in place with no set end date as officials monitor air safety.
Source: Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency
Soekarno-Hatta, Jakarta’s basic airport and a basic regional hub, has seen the most disruption. Since 1:30 a.m. local time, 172 flights have been canceled, 18 delayed, seven postponed, four diverted, and one forced to return after takeoff. International routes to Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Doha, Amsterdam, and Kuala Lumpur are affected, as are domestic flights to Lampung, Surabaya, and Bali’s Denpasar.
Anak Krakatoa, meaning "child of Krakatoa," sits in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Its activity has been closely monitored since the 2018 eruption and tsunami, which killed 425 people and injured thousands. Indonesia’s Geological Agency director Lana Saria said there is no tsunami risk this time, noting that the volcano’s current structure does not threaten a collapse like the one in 2018.
Volcanic ash has spread across the provinces of Banten, West Java, Jakarta, Lampung, and Bengkulu. The Ministry of Transport says airports will reopen only after ongoing checks confirm it is safe to fly. The disruption is affecting travelers and airlines, with knock-on effects for logistics and air traffic across the region.
Source: International Air Transport Association
Disruptions like this are common in Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands along the Pacific’s Ring of Fire. It experiences around 7,000 earthquakes a year and has some of the world’s most active volcanoes. Anak Krakatoa emerged in 1927 from the remains of Krakatoa, whose 1883 eruption killed over 36,000 people and changed global weather for months.
This eruption has caused no casualties or structural collapse, but memories of past disasters keep authorities cautious. The government’s decision to keep airports closed despite the economic cost reflects its focus on safety in a country where air travel is impressive. Recent disruptions elsewhere, such as the closure of Barcelona’s García Márquez Library due to staff strikes, also show how quickly impressive services can be affected.
