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Indonesia has expanded temporary flight suspensions to eight airports after a powerful eruption of Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash high into the atmosphere, disrupting air travel across western parts of the archipelago and affecting well over one hundred thousand passengers.
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Air travel across western Indonesia severely disrupted
Publicly available information from Indonesia’s transport ministry and regional media indicates that temporary closures first affected Jakarta’s main Soekarno Hatta International Airport early on Sunday, 6 September 2026, after ash from Anak Krakatau was detected over the airfield. Initial shutdowns lasting several hours were later extended as monitoring showed continued ash dispersion in the busy air corridor linking Java and Sumatra.
Updates compiled by Indonesian transport authorities and regional wire services describe a rapidly escalating impact on air travel as the day progressed. By Sunday evening, coverage from international and local outlets reported that closures had been widened from four to eight airports as a precaution, disrupting hundreds of flights on domestic and international routes and leaving large numbers of travelers facing cancellations and long delays.
Figures cited in regional news reports suggest that at least 150,000 passengers and more than 450 flights were directly affected once the expanded closures took effect, with some later tallies indicating more than 1,500 cancellations as airlines adjusted schedules systemwide. Soekarno Hatta alone accounted for the largest share of disrupted operations, with hundreds of arrivals and departures suspended over multiple closure periods.
At Jakarta’s secondary Halim Perdanakusuma Airport and Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung on the southern tip of Sumatra, images and timetables shared publicly showed commercial services halted while operators assessed ash conditions on runways and in surrounding airspace. Smaller facilities in western Java and nearby regions also experienced suspensions or restricted operating hours as ash advisories were updated.
Which airports are affected by the Anak Krakatau eruption
According to transport ministry situation updates and aggregated media coverage, the list of affected airports has grown in several stages through Sunday. Early bulletins highlighted temporary closures at four key gateways: Soekarno Hatta in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung, and Budiarto Airport in Curug, Banten, following positive ground tests for volcanic ash.
Subsequent advisories, cited by regional news agencies, show that the number of airports under full or partial closure later expanded to eight as ash clouds drifted across western Indonesia. While specific combinations have varied over the course of the day, publicly reported information indicates that the wider group includes additional secondary airports in Java and Sumatra that sit along the main plume trajectory, as well as facilities handling training and general aviation traffic.
Transport bulletins describing airspace restrictions refer to a series of Notices to Air Missions, or NOTAMs, issued for each airport as conditions evolved. These notices specify time windows for closures or operational limitations, guiding airlines and pilots on whether arrivals and departures can proceed, must be diverted, or need to be postponed until air quality improves.
Some airports, including Jakarta’s primary hub, have gone through multiple successive closure windows during the day as updated ash tests and satellite imagery became available. This pattern has resulted in rolling disruptions, with brief reopening periods followed by renewed suspensions whenever fresh ash was detected over approach paths or on airport surfaces.
Passenger impact and airline responses
Published coverage from international news agencies and Indonesian outlets shows airlines scrambling to adjust schedules, reroute aircraft, and support stranded passengers as the ash cloud spread. At Soekarno Hatta, the country’s largest aviation hub, hundreds of flights on full service and low cost carriers were canceled, while others were delayed or rerouted to alternative airports with clearer skies.
Malaysia’s airport operator reported that dozens of Jakarta bound flights from Kuala Lumpur and other Malaysian cities were canceled once news of the initial closure reached neighboring countries. Additional disruptions were reported at hubs such as Singapore and regional centers across Southeast Asia, where carriers had to replan services that would normally transit Jakarta or connect through western Indonesian airspace.
Some airlines publicly announced blanket cancellations for services to and from Jakarta for part of the day, citing ash related safety concerns and airspace restrictions. Others opted to operate limited schedules once brief reopening windows were announced, while cautioning passengers that timings remained subject to rapid change depending on updated advisories from aviation and meteorological agencies.
Travelers transiting the region reported crowded terminals, long queues at airline service desks, and difficulties rebooking seats on already full alternative flights. With airport hotels quickly reaching capacity, some passengers turned to nearby city accommodations or chose to remain inside terminals while waiting for confirmation that flights could resume.
Volcanic ash and aviation safety
The response around Anak Krakatau reflects long standing global procedures for aviation during volcanic eruptions. Guidance from international aviation bodies, frequently referenced in Indonesian transport communications, underlines that even low concentrations of ash can pose serious risks to aircraft, from abrasion of windscreens and sensors to potential engine damage if ash is ingested at altitude.
As ash from Anak Krakatau spread across flight corridors, Indonesia’s meteorological and geological agencies used satellite imagery, ground based sampling, and pilot reports to help define exclusion zones. Publicly available data shared via media outlets indicate that ash was detected at several flight levels, prompting vertically and horizontally tailored rerouting instructions for airline operations.
The decision to close airports and reroute or cancel flights is rooted in these safety considerations. Historical analysis of previous volcanic incidents worldwide shows that encounters with ash clouds have, in extreme cases, led to temporary engine failures and costly aircraft repairs. In response, modern protocols favor early and conservative restrictions whenever ash is detected over major aviation hubs.
In the case of Anak Krakatau, regional reports note that ash plumes reached significant altitudes over parts of the Sunda Strait, with airborne particles carried toward densely populated areas of western Java and southern Sumatra by prevailing winds. This pattern has required not only airport specific closures but also broader route adjustments for flights crossing Indonesian airspace.
Anak Krakatau’s renewed activity and ongoing monitoring
The latest eruption is part of a renewed phase of activity at Anak Krakatau, an island volcano that emerged from the sea in the early twentieth century within the caldera of Krakatoa, site of the catastrophic 1883 eruption. Geological summaries frequently cited in media reports describe Anak Krakatau as a persistently active cone that has undergone repeated eruptive episodes and partial collapses in recent decades.
Indonesia’s geological agency has reported a gradual intensification of activity at Anak Krakatau since mid 2026, culminating in the current sequence of strong eruptions. Imagery shared in international coverage shows incandescent lava fountains and dense ash plumes rising above the volcano, with glow visible from coastal communities around the Sunda Strait.
Authorities continue to rely on a mix of seismic monitoring, visual observations, and remote sensing to track changes in the volcano’s behavior. Public information statements emphasize a multi agency approach, involving geological experts, meteorological services, air navigation providers, and airport operators working together to update risk assessments and communicate operational decisions to airlines and the traveling public.
With ash dispersion still being assessed and Anak Krakatau’s activity described as ongoing, further changes to airport operations and flight schedules remain possible in the short term. Travelers with plans to fly into or through western Indonesia are being advised, via airline and airport channels, to check the latest status of their flights and allow extra time for potential disruptions.
Associated Press coverage of Anak Krakatau eruption and flight cancellations
Bernama report on expansion of Indonesian airport closures
Indonesian transport ministry update on eight airport closures
Directorate General of Civil Aviation bulletin on Anak Krakatau ash impacts