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Singapore Airlines and AirAsia have cancelled or rescheduled multiple flights on the busy Singapore–Jakarta corridor after a fresh eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash drifting into key air routes across western Indonesia on 5 and 6 September 2026.
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Volcanic Ash Shuts Jakarta’s Main Gateway
The renewed activity at Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait prompted Indonesia’s aviation authorities to suspend operations at Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International Airport for several hours on Sunday, 6 September, as ash clouds moved across the capital region and surrounding provinces. Publicly available information indicates that the closure, initially set until mid morning, was later extended into the afternoon while conditions were reassessed and ash forecasts updated.
Media coverage from Jakarta describes widespread disruption across the airport, with hundreds of flights cancelled or delayed as airlines reworked schedules or diverted services to alternative airports. Reports shared by aviation tracking communities suggest that traffic to and from other western Indonesian airports, including Halim Perdanakusuma and those in Lampung and South Sumatra, has also been affected as ash spread over a broad swathe of airspace.
Anak Krakatau’s latest phase of unrest follows several weeks of elevated seismic and eruptive activity noted by Indonesian monitoring agencies. The current eruption has produced ash plumes high enough to intersect major commercial flight levels, triggering stringent safety protocols that require aircraft to avoid contaminated airspace because volcanic ash can damage engines and critical onboard systems.
Singapore Airlines Cancels Dozens of Jakarta Services
Singapore Airlines has been among the hardest hit foreign carriers on the Singapore–Jakarta route. According to the airline’s travel advisory and regional news reports, the carrier cancelled 19 flights between Singapore Changi Airport and Jakarta on Sunday, 6 September, after earlier disruptions on Saturday evening linked to the same eruption sequence.
The airline’s advisory detailing the impact of Anak Krakatau notes that at least one Singapore–Jakarta flight, SQ966 scheduled for the evening of 5 September, was cancelled as ash forecasts deteriorated. Updated coverage from regional wire services adds that services across multiple flight numbers in the SQ96x series were pulled back or retimed on 6 September as part of a broader suspension of operations at Soekarno Hatta.
Public information from Singapore’s media landscape indicates that passengers affected by the cancellations have been offered rebooking on later services or refunds in line with the airline’s existing disruption policies. Airport images published by local outlets show long queues forming at assistance counters in Changi as travelers sought new itineraries, with knock on effects for connecting long haul journeys scheduled to depart via Jakarta.
AirAsia Adjusts Indonesia and Regional Networks
Low cost carrier AirAsia has also implemented widespread adjustments to its Jakarta operations in response to the Anak Krakatau ash cloud. Statements in the airline’s newsroom indicate that a number of AirAsia flights to and from Jakarta have been cancelled outright, while others have been rescheduled or rerouted as conditions evolve.
Malaysia based AirAsia and its Indonesia affiliate highlight in their public notices that extensive ash layers are expected to affect airspace across the wider region, not only around Jakarta. As a result, the airline has advised guests traveling on affected dates to monitor the latest flight status through its digital channels and to expect possible late changes as new meteorological and volcanic data become available.
Regional news agencies report that AirAsia has begun notifying impacted passengers via email and mobile applications regarding their options, which include travel credits, free date changes within a specified period, or refunds for flights that cannot be operated. These steps are presented as part of the carrier’s disruption recovery plan while it works to restore normal schedules once the ash threat diminishes.
Safety Rules Drive Route Closures and Detours
The wave of cancellations and detours around Jakarta underscores the aviation industry’s conservative approach to volcanic ash. International safety guidance treats visible or forecast ash as a serious hazard, and airlines are expected to avoid airspace where ash concentration data is uncertain, even if the plume appears fragmented or patchy on satellite imagery.
Publicly accessible analyses from aviation tracking and natural hazard monitoring communities indicate that the Anak Krakatau plume has at times reached flight levels used by medium and long haul jets. Some flights operating between Southeast Asia and Australia or the Middle East have reportedly altered their routings to stay clear of the most active sectors, adding time and complexity to already busy regional corridors.
Jakarta’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s largest aviation hubs has magnified the operational impact. Disruptions at Soekarno Hatta ripple quickly across airline networks, affecting not only point to point traffic with Singapore but also domestic connections across Indonesia and international links to cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and various Australian gateways.
Travelers Urged to Monitor Updates and Allow Extra Time
Travel and aviation industry coverage advises passengers booked on flights to or from Jakarta, as well as nearby airports that could be affected by shifting ash clouds, to check airline and airport channels frequently in the coming days. Since volcanic activity can change with limited warning, further adjustments to timetables remain possible even after operations resume.
For travelers on Singapore Airlines and AirAsia, publicly available advisories recommend confirming flight status on official websites or mobile applications before heading to the airport, and making sure contact details in bookings are up to date so that notifications can be received promptly. Travelers with non flexible accommodation or onward tickets are also encouraged by consumer guidance platforms to review the terms of their bookings in light of the evolving situation.
While Anak Krakatau’s current eruption has caused significant short term disruption, aviation and geological reports note that Indonesia’s air transport sector has long experience managing similar events. As ash forecasts improve and monitoring agencies refine their assessments, airlines are expected to progressively rebuild their Jakarta schedules, although some residual delays and reroutings may continue as networks recover.
Singapore Airlines travel advisory on Anak Krakatau eruption
AirAsia newsroom: Flights impacted by Anak Krakatau
Channel NewsAsia coverage of Jakarta airport suspensions
Associated Press report on Anak Krakatau eruption and flight shutdowns