A major volcanic eruption has forced the suspension of more than 2,000 flights across Indonesia, leaving approximately 270,000 passengers stranded and disrupting regional air traffic across Southeast Asia for a second consecutive day.
Anak Krakatau began erupting late on Friday night and continued with multiple eruptions throughout the weekend, generating sustained seismic activity, lava fountains, and audible booming sounds across surrounding regions. According to regional aviation reports, Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and three other airports extended their suspension until 18:00 local time on Monday. The volcano's most recent eruption occurred at 20:23 on Sunday. Ash from the volcano was detected in airspace near Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday morning, prompting authorities to halt operations. The transport ministry confirmed that the disruption primarily affected routes to and from Singapore, along with international services to Doha, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur. Additionally, volcanic ash also disrupted flights between Lampung and Jakarta, with several routes cancelled at Radin Inten II International Airport.
More than 22,000 people were directly impacted by the initial flight suspensions at Jakarta's main airport, where 301 flights including 58 international services were suspended. An earlier suspension had impacted 33 flights, comprising 16 international cancellations and seven delays. Neighbouring Singapore's Changi Airport confirmed that its services to and from Jakarta were affected because of the volcanic activity. The ash column rose to approximately 15 kilometres above sea level on the Sumatra side and 6,000 metres on the Java side, according to volcanic ash advisory tracking data, and moved westward at roughly 74 kilometres per hour.
Snaking queues formed at departure halls on Monday as stranded passengers sought refunds and updates on when they would be able to fly. A newly wed Malaysian couple, who had just spent a week in Bali, were told their next flight back to Kuala Lumpur would not depart until 11 September. Amir Hamzah, 29, said:
What are we going to do here for another five days? We only prepared enough money for our honeymoon and were supposed to go home yesterday. We thought we would just sleep at the airport for a few hours and then take the morning flight home. We never thought we would end up being stuck here for days.Another passenger, Suhardi, 58, who was due to travel from Jakarta to Lampung for work, expressed acceptance of the disruption, saying:
This is nature, after all. So I have to accept it, because when it comes to nature, there's no choice. Now I'm just waiting for the next update from the airline.
Indonesia's Geological Agency warned on Monday that
the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated:
We cannot ascertain when this will end due to the dynamic weather, noting that authorities across the airports have been conducting tests every 30 minutes to anticipate whether the ash spread is widening or subsiding.
Schools in the region moved classes online while some shipping operations were also disrupted. Authorities have warned against approaching or engaging in activities within a 3 kilometre radius from the active crater, while ships passing through the Sunda Strait have also been prohibited from entering an exclusion zone of 3 kilometres radius from it.
What caused the eruptions?
Anak Krakatau, meaning Child of Krakatoa, emerged from the sea at the beginning of the twentieth century within the caldera left behind by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa. The volcano is located approximately 150 kilometres from Jakarta in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. The volcano has been sporadically active throughout its existence. The most recent major event occurred in December 2018, when the volcano collapsed and triggered a massive tsunami that killed more than 400 people and displaced and injured thousands more on the nearby coastlines of Sumatra and Java. Scientists determined that some of the rock chunks that detached from the volcano during that collapse measured between 70 and 90 metres in height.
What health risks does the ash pose?
The health minister has urged residents in affected areas to remain indoors and wear face masks to mitigate respiratory, eye, and skin irritation risks from the volcanic ash. According to local reporting, several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents experienced eye irritation from the ash, while some fishermen similarly cancelled fishing trips due to sore eyes.
One resident, Aldi Candra Prayogi, described the sensation as feeling like
small grains of sand had gotten into my eyes, and reported needing to use eye drops to relieve the irritation. He also noted that the dust was so thick he had to sweep the front yard of his house every five minutes.
Is there a tsunami risk?
Authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami warning associated with the current volcanic activity. The volcano is located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, and officials have maintained a 5 kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano following the 2018 collapse.
Why is Indonesia prone to volcanic activity?
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region characterised by exceptionally high volcanic and seismic activity. This zone is defined by a line of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that encircles virtually the entire Pacific rim. Roughly 90 per cent of all earthquakes occur along the area, and the ring is dotted with 75 per cent of all active volcanoes on Earth, comprising 452 individual active volcanoes. This makes Indonesia one of the world's most geologically active nations.
What happens next?
Soekarno-Hatta Airport's next scheduled reopening window was set for 9:30 a.m. on Sunday before the suspension was extended again due to ongoing ash in the airspace. The airport authority will continue monitoring volcanic ash concentrations and air quality conditions to determine when normal flight operations can safely resume. The extended closure until 18:00 on Monday reflects the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the volcano's activity.
Key Facts:
- More than 2,000 flights have been suspended across Indonesia, affecting approximately 270,000 passengers, with 301 flights suspended at Jakarta's main airport including 58 international services
- Anak Krakatau erupted late Friday night and multiple times throughout the weekend, with the most recent eruption occurring at 20:23 on Sunday; ash rose to 15 kilometres altitude on the Sumatra side and 6,000 metres on the Java side
- The volcano's 2018 collapse triggered a tsunami that killed over 400 people; the current eruptions carry no tsunami warning, though authorities warn of high probability of further eruptions
- Volcanic ash disrupted not only Jakarta airport but also Radin Inten II International Airport serving Lampung, while schools moved classes online and shipping operations were affected
- Indonesia's location on the Pacific Ring of Fire makes it one of the world's most volcanically active regions, with 75 per cent of all active volcanoes on Earth
