Anak Krakatau eruption disrupts Indonesian flights and Qantas routes

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano has spewed ash high over western parts of the archipelago, triggering widespread airport closures, cancelling or delaying more than a thousand flights and forcing Qantas to halt services to Jakarta for at least a second consecutive day.

Airports closed as ash cloud spreads over Jakarta

Reports indicate that Mount Anak Krakatau began a new phase of intense activity late on Friday, 5 September 2026, sending columns of ash tens of thousands of feet into the atmosphere above the Sunda Strait. Volcanic ash has drifted east and north across heavily trafficked air corridors linking Jakarta with domestic and international destinations.

Publicly available information shows that Jakarta’s main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, suspended departures and arrivals as the ash cloud moved across the capital. Airport and aviation data indicate that operations at Soekarno-Hatta have been repeatedly extended, with closures and restrictions continuing into Monday, 7 September. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/12c3cb67859b2c51054b378d60148d33?utm_source=openai))

Air traffic services have also reported ash over several regional hubs. Coverage from multiple outlets notes that a total of eight airports across western Indonesia have either closed or imposed severe limitations on operations, affecting air travel in parts of Java and Sumatra. ([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/6/indonesias-main-airport-suspends-flights-due-to-anak-krakatoa-eruption?utm_source=openai))

The ash contamination has prompted air navigation authorities to issue notices warning that volcanic particles remain present at cruising altitudes used by commercial jets. While monitoring agencies say the intensity of the eruption has fluctuated, the changing wind and weather patterns are continuing to influence where and how ash is dispersed. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/e32f06ee8ad761ab78d2d3abc38f83d4?utm_source=openai))

Qantas cancels Jakarta services and offers flexibility

Australian carrier Qantas is among the international airlines most directly affected by the Anak Krakatau eruption. According to published coverage, the airline has cancelled flights between Australia and Jakarta as a precaution while volcanic ash lingers over the approach and departure paths to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-07/australians-stranded-as-volcanic-ash-closes-jakarta-airport/107125502?utm_source=openai))

Reports compiled by Australian media list at least four Qantas services impacted so far: QF39 and QF40, which operate between Sydney and Jakarta, and QF41 and QF42, which connect Melbourne with the Indonesian capital. These cancellations have left travellers in both directions facing extended delays and disrupted itineraries. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-07/mount-anak-krakatau-volcano-indonesia-flights-jakarta/107122890?utm_source=openai))

Information on Qantas’s customer advisories indicates that passengers booked to travel to or from Jakarta on affected dates are being offered options including refunds, travel credits or the ability to change travel dates without additional fees, subject to seat availability. The airline has stated in public updates that services will resume only when flying conditions are assessed as safe. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-07/mount-anak-krakatau-volcano-indonesia-flights-jakarta/107122890?utm_source=openai))

Current advisories also highlight that Qantas flights between Australia and Bali remain unaffected, as ash has been concentrated in western Indonesian airspace rather than over popular holiday gateways in the country’s east. Travellers are nevertheless being urged to closely monitor airline notifications in case conditions shift. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-07/mount-anak-krakatau-volcano-indonesia-flights-jakarta/107122890?utm_source=openai))

Thousands of passengers stranded across western Indonesia

The combination of airport closures and conservative safety margins for flying near volcanic ash has led to widespread disruption for travellers. Estimates drawn from Indonesian and international media suggest that hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed across the network, with totals surpassing 1,500 movements over the first two days of the event. ([aljazeera.com](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/6/indonesias-main-airport-suspends-flights-due-to-anak-krakatoa-eruption?utm_source=openai))

Published figures from airport operators and news agencies indicate that as many as 170,000 passengers have been stranded or affected in some way, including tens of thousands at Soekarno-Hatta alone. At Jakarta’s primary airport, rolling cancellations, diversions and delays have left terminals crowded with passengers awaiting updates on rescheduled services or alternative routing options. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/12c3cb67859b2c51054b378d60148d33?utm_source=openai))

Regional media accounts describe travellers facing extended hotel stays, unexpected overnights at transit hubs and last minute changes to connections through other Southeast Asian cities. Some airlines have diverted long haul services to alternate airports outside Indonesia, while others have suspended routes entirely until visibility and air quality tests confirm that ash concentrations have fallen to acceptable levels. ([sbs.com.au](https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/passengers-stranded-in-indonesia-flights-delayed-as-volcanic-ash-causes-chaos/zybodi9uj?utm_source=openai))

Advisories compiled by travel platforms recommend that passengers avoid heading to airports until flights are confirmed as operating and encourage the use of airline apps or websites for real time status checks. Travel insurers, according to industry statements, are directing affected customers to review policy wording around natural disasters and force majeure events. ([traveloka.com](https://www.traveloka.com/en-en/flight/force-majeure/anak-krakatau-eruption-2026?cur=USD&utm_source=openai))

Wider airline and tourism impacts in the region

While Qantas has been a focus for many Australian travellers, disruption from Anak Krakatau has affected a broad mix of airlines that rely on Jakarta as a regional hub. Public statements and schedule data show that Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and carriers within Indonesia’s Lion Air Group have all cancelled or rerouted services as the ash cloud has moved through western Indonesia’s busy airspace. ([abc.net.au](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-06/indonesia-volcano-mount-anak-krakatau-eruption-flights-suspended/107121302?utm_source=openai))

Jakarta’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s major connecting airports means the disruption is reverberating beyond Indonesia’s borders. Aviation analysts cited in international coverage note that cancellations and missed connections at Soekarno-Hatta can cascade into later services, affecting aircraft rotations, crew scheduling and terminal capacity at other hubs across the Asia Pacific region. ([cbsnews.com](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indonesia-volcano-eruption-flights-airport/?utm_source=openai))

Tourism operators in Indonesia are also tracking developments closely. News reports from Australian and Indonesian outlets suggest that the greatest immediate impact has been on travel to and from Jakarta and nearby provinces, while destinations such as Bali have so far avoided direct ash contamination. However, any prolonged closure of key airports or changes to flight paths could reshape visitor flows in the short term as airlines and travellers seek more predictable routings. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/bali/comments/1w9b37i/volcano_eruption_situation_anak_krakatau/?utm_source=openai))

Travel advisors are recommending that visitors with imminent plans to transit through Jakarta confirm routing options with airlines or agents and consider flexible bookings where possible. Industry observers also note that the eruption serves as a reminder of Indonesia’s unique geological setting, where active volcanoes sit close to densely populated areas and important transport infrastructure. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/e32f06ee8ad761ab78d2d3abc38f83d4?utm_source=openai))

Monitoring Anak Krakatau and what travelers should watch

Anak Krakatau, whose name means “child of Krakatau,” sits on a small island roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra. It is the successor to the volcano responsible for the cataclysmic 1883 Krakatau eruption, an event that caused global climatic effects and deadly tsunamis. Modern monitoring networks now track Anak Krakatau’s activity, but recent events underline that even routine eruptions can have far reaching implications for aviation. ([euronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/07/volcano-in-indonesia-erupts-canceling-hundreds-of-flights-and-stranding-thousands?utm_source=openai))

Indonesia’s volcanology and disaster response agencies, according to publicly available bulletins, continue to observe fluctuating ash emissions and have maintained elevated alert levels around the volcano. Ash plumes have been reported at varying heights and directions as wind conditions shift, complicating efforts to predict when skies over Jakarta and surrounding regions will clear sufficiently for normal operations. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/e32f06ee8ad761ab78d2d3abc38f83d4?utm_source=openai))

For travelers, the key variables in the coming days remain wind patterns, eruption intensity and airspace assessments by aviation regulators. Airlines are expected to keep adjusting timetables as new satellite imagery, pilot reports and ash dispersion models become available. Passengers flying to, from or via Jakarta are being urged by travel advisors to maintain close contact with airlines, allow extra time for connections and consider contingency plans, particularly if traveling for time sensitive events. ([traveloka.com](https://www.traveloka.com/en-en/flight/force-majeure/anak-krakatau-eruption-2026?cur=USD&utm_source=openai))

Travel industry guidance stresses that while the current situation is disruptive, flight safety protocols around volcanic ash are well established. Carriers typically resume operations only when independent testing and modeling confirm that engine damage risks are acceptably low, meaning that restored services should reflect improved conditions rather than a return driven solely by schedule pressures. ([qantas.com.au](https://www.qantas.com.au/infodetail/about/frequently-asked-questions-due-to-volcanic-ash-disruptions.pdf?utm_source=openai))

ABC News: Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau volcanic eruption impacts Jakarta flights

Al Jazeera: Thousands stranded as Anak Krakatau eruption shutters Indonesian airports

AP News: Volcanic island in Indonesia erupts, canceling hundreds of flights

SBS News: Passengers stranded as volcanic ash causes flight chaos