TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport and several regional airports Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted air travel. Over 340,000 passengers experienced delays, cancellations, or diversions during the incident. Nearly 3,000 flights across Indonesia were affected. Authorities reopened Soekarno-Hatta International Airport once winds cleared ash from key aviation zones. Anak Krakatau remained active Tuesday, with monitoring stations recording three smaller eruptions in the morning.
The Ministry of Transportation announced that Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara airports resumed operations at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport followed at 2:25 a.m. Meanwhile, Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra reopened Monday morning. Two airports in Lampung, Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas, are still awaiting further assessment in the latest official update. Before resuming normal activity, airport authorities mandated safety inspections of aircraft.
The closures began after Anak Krakatau emitted volcanic ash into the airspace over Jakarta and nearby regions. During the disruption, eight airports halted operations, including Indonesia’s busiest international gateway at Soekarno-Hatta. Volcanic ash can damage aircraft engines and impair visibility, posing serious safety risks. Authorities restricted flights into areas where ash was detected. Airlines adjusted schedules, including departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements, across affected airports, impacting both domestic and international flights.
Major airports reopen after ash disperses
Anak Krakatau’s recent sustained activity started late Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. A continuous eruption began at 11:07 p.m. Friday and lasted until shortly after midnight Sunday, totaling around 25 hours. Monitoring stations recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after the main phase ended. Ash clouds earlier reached nearly 50,000 feet altitude in some areas, dispersing volcanic material across western Indonesia and disrupting key flight corridors.
The Geological Agency kept Anak Krakatau at Level III, the second-highest alert level for volcanoes in Indonesia. A three-kilometer exclusion zone remains around the volcano’s active crater. Authorities advised residents affected by ash to reduce outdoor activity or wear masks. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were instructed to follow official guidance and dismiss unverified tsunami claims. Monitoring networks continued recording seismic and eruptive activity after the main eruption subsided over the weekend.
Hundreds of thousands impacted by flight disruptions
Tuesday’s three smaller eruptions occurred as airports worked to recover from the multi-day shutdown. Officials required airlines and operators to inspect grounded aircraft. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 planes needed airworthiness checks before resuming service. Pilots and crews received instructions regarding restricted airspace with volcanic ash. These steps accompanied the reopening process after authorities confirmed conditions had improved enough for safe flight operations.
Anak Krakatau, an active volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, emerged from the Krakatau volcanic complex. Its activity has increased in 2026, with eruptions recorded since July. The volcano experienced a major collapse during an eruption in December 2018 that triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts over 100 active volcanoes due to its position along major tectonic boundaries in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and eruptions happen frequently.