TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia resumed operations at Jakarta’s primary airport along with several regional hubs on Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted air traffic. The disturbance led to delays, cancellations, or diversions for over 340,000 travelers. The impact extended to nearly 3,000 flights nationwide. Authorities reopened Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after winds cleared ash from critical aviation zones. Anak Krakatau remained active on Tuesday, with monitoring stations registering three smaller eruptions during the morning hours.
According to the Ministry of Transportation, airports including Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara resumed flights at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport followed suit at 2:25 a.m., while Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra reopened Monday morning. The latest official update indicated that Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas airports in Lampung still awaited further evaluations. Safety inspections on aircraft were mandated before normal operations could recommence.
The closures were triggered after Anak Krakatau emitted volcanic ash across airspaces serving Jakarta and nearby regions. During the disruption, eight airports halted services, including Indonesia’s busiest international gateway, Soekarno-Hatta. Volcanic ash poses a severe hazard by damaging aircraft engines and impairing visibility. Consequently, authorities restricted aircraft from entering ash-affected airspace. Airlines responded by adjusting schedules for departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements across affected airports, affecting both domestic and international routes.
Major airports resume operations following ash dispersal
Anak Krakatau’s recent phase of sustained activity started late Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. An eruptive episode began at 11:07 p.m. that night and concluded shortly after midnight Sunday, lasting approximately 25 hours. Monitoring recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after the continuous activity stopped. Earlier ash clouds reached altitudes near 50,000 feet in some zones, dispersing volcanic material across parts of western Indonesia and disrupting major flight corridors.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III, Indonesia’s second-highest volcanic alert level. A three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active crater remained in effect. Officials advised residents affected by ash to limit outdoor activities or wear masks. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were instructed to adhere to official guidance and dismiss unverified tsunami reports. Monitoring systems continued to record seismic and eruptive activity after the prolonged eruption ended over the weekend.
Disruption affects hundreds of thousands of travelers
The three smaller eruptions on Tuesday occurred as airports worked through the aftermath of the multi-day shutdown. Officials mandated aircraft inspections for grounded planes during the closure. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft underwent airworthiness assessments before resuming full service. Pilots and crew received instructions regarding restricted airspace containing volcanic ash. These measures accompanied the reopening of airports once authorities confirmed conditions had improved sufficiently for safe flight operations.
Anak Krakatau, an active volcanic island in the Sunda Strait formed from the Krakatau volcanic complex, has shown increased activity in 2026, including eruptions recorded since July. The volcano experienced a significant collapse during an eruption in December 2018, which triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts over 100 active volcanoes due to its location along major tectonic boundaries within the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and eruptions are frequent occurrences.