TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia restarted operations at Jakarta’s main airport along with several regional airfields Tuesday after volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau halted air traffic. Over 340,000 travelers experienced delays, cancellations, or diversions amid the disturbance. The impact was felt on nearly 3,000 flights across Indonesia. Authorities resumed Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after wind conditions cleared ash from key 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, the airports of Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara resumed operations at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport followed suit at 2:25 a.m. Meanwhile, Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra reopened on Monday morning. The latest official transport update indicated that Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas airports in Lampung still awaited further assessment. Before resuming normal flights, airport authorities mandated safety inspections of aircraft involved in operations.
The closures came after Anak Krakatau expelled volcanic ash over airspace serving Jakarta and nearby regions. During the disruption, eight airports, including Indonesia’s busiest international hub at Soekarno-Hatta, halted flights. Volcanic ash poses a serious risk to aircraft engines and visibility, making it a major aviation concern. Authorities also restricted aircraft from entering zones where ash was detected through monitoring. The disruption caused widespread adjustments to domestic and international flight schedules as airlines modified departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements at affected airports.
Major Airports Resume Operations Following Ash Clearance
Anak Krakatau entered a period of sustained activity late Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. A continuous eruption phase began at 11:07 p.m. that evening and concluded shortly after midnight Sunday, lasting about 25 hours. Monitoring recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after the continuous phase ended. Earlier ash plumes reached heights approaching 50,000 feet in some locations, dispersing volcanic material over parts of western Indonesia and disrupting major flight corridors.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III, Indonesia’s second-highest alert level for volcanoes. A three-kilometer exclusion zone remained around the volcano’s active site. Officials advised residents affected by volcanic ash to limit outdoor activity or wear masks. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were instructed to follow official advice and reject unverified tsunami reports. The volcano’s monitoring network continued recording seismic and eruptive activity even after the longer eruption phase concluded over the weekend.
Hundreds of Thousands Affected by Air Travel Disruptions
The three smaller eruptions on Tuesday occurred as airports managed the aftermath of the multi-day shutdown. Authorities required operators and airlines to conduct airworthiness checks on aircraft that remained grounded. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft needed inspection before returning to service. Pilots and operational crews received instructions regarding restricted airspace affected by volcanic ash. These measures accompanied the reopening of airports once authorities determined that conditions had improved sufficiently for safe flight operations.
Anak Krakatau, an active volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, emerged from the Krakatau volcanic complex. Its activity has intensified during 2026, with eruptions recorded since July. The volcano also experienced a major collapse during an eruption in December 2018 that caused a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts over 100 active volcanoes because it lies along major tectonic boundaries in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently occur.