TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport along with several regional airports on Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau caused significant disturbances in air travel. The disruption affected over 340,000 travelers through delays, cancellations, or diversions. Close to 3,000 flights within Indonesia experienced the impact. Authorities resumed operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport once wind conditions cleared the ash from critical aviation zones. Anak Krakatau remained active on Tuesday, with monitoring stations recording three smaller eruptions during the morning hours.
According to the Ministry of Transportation, airports including Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara resumed operations at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Additionally, Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport restarted at 2:25 a.m., while Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra had already reopened Monday morning. The latest official update indicates that Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas airports in Lampung are still awaiting further assessment. Prior to resuming normal flights, authorities mandated aircraft safety inspections.
The shutdowns began after Anak Krakatau expelled volcanic ash across air routes serving Jakarta and neighboring regions. During the event, eight airports, including Indonesia’s busiest international gateway at Soekarno-Hatta, halted operations. Volcanic ash poses a risk to aircraft engines and visibility, making it a major hazard for aviation. Monitoring also led to restrictions on aircraft entry into zones with detected ash clouds. Airlines adjusted their schedules, affecting departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements across impacted airports, spreading disruption both domestically and internationally.
Major airports reopen following ash dispersal
Anak Krakatau entered its latest phase of sustained activity late Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. A continuous eruptive episode began at 11:07 p.m. that night, concluding shortly after midnight on Sunday, lasting approximately 25 hours. After the primary phase, monitoring detected additional Strombolian eruptions. Ash clouds earlier reached heights approaching 50,000 feet in some regions, dispersing volcanic material across parts of western Indonesia and disrupting key flight corridors.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III, Indonesia’s second-highest volcanic alert. A three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active crater remained in effect. Officials urged residents in affected areas to minimize outdoor activity or wear masks to reduce inhalation of volcanic ash. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were advised to follow official instructions and dismiss unverified tsunami claims. The volcano’s monitoring network continued recording seismic and eruptive activity even after the prolonged eruption ceased over the weekend.
Air travel chaos affects hundreds of thousands
The three smaller eruptions on Tuesday occurred as airports managed the aftermath of several days of shutdown. Officials mandated inspections for aircraft that remained grounded during the closure. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft required airworthiness checks before returning to service. Pilots and crews received guidance regarding restricted airspace affected by volcanic ash. These safety measures coincided with the airports’ reopening, following official confirmation that conditions had improved enough for flight operations to resume.
Anak Krakatau, an active volcanic island located in the Sunda Strait, emerged from the Krakatau volcanic complex and has shown increased activity during 2026, including eruptions recorded since July. The volcano experienced a significant collapse during a December 2018 eruption, which triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia’s landscape is dotted with more than 100 active volcanoes, a consequence of its position along the tectonic boundaries of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and eruptions are frequent occurrences.