More news on this day
Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano has disrupted air travel across western Indonesia, forcing temporary closures at Jakarta’s main airports, halting thousands of flights and prompting renewed travel advisories for visitors planning trips to the country.
Get the latest news straight to your inbox!
Major Airports Closed as Ash Cloud Spreads
Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau began affecting aviation routes on 5 September 2026, leading to the suspension of operations at Soekarno Hatta International Airport, Jakarta’s primary international gateway, and nearby Halim Perdanakusuma Airport. Notices to airmen indicated that ash was detected in airport airspace, prompting closures in line with international safety protocols for volcanic events.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation reported that eight airports across Java and Sumatra were successively closed or restricted as the ash plume spread. These included Soekarno Hatta and Halim in the Jakarta region, Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas in Lampung, as well as Budiarto, Pondok Cabe and Atung Bungsu. Public information from the ministry described the measures as precautionary steps based on volcanic ash monitoring and meteorological assessments.
Data released by the ministry showed significant disruption during the peak of the closures. Monitoring updates cited more than 1,500 delayed or cancelled flights across the eight affected airports and around 170,000 passengers unable to travel while ash concentrations remained above safe thresholds for jet engines.
The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG) indicated in a public bulletin that volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau was observed at altitudes up to around 15,000 feet and drifting westward, triggering a series of ash advisories and aviation warnings coordinated with the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre.
Gradual Reopening but Ongoing Disruptions
Flight schedules began to stabilise on 8 September as ash concentrations decreased over key aviation corridors. According to statements on the Ministry of Transportation’s website, Soekarno Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma and Husein Sastranegara in Bandung were declared operational again from 00:01 local time on 8 September following safety evaluations.
Regional airports reopened in phases. Public updates from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and subsequent coverage by regional news agencies indicated that Radin Inten II in Lampung, Budiarto, Pondok Cabe and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas resumed operations later on 8 September after earlier extensions to their closure periods. Air traffic statistics released by the ministry showed that on 8 September, Soekarno Hatta alone handled more than 870 combined arrivals and departures as airlines worked to clear the passenger backlog.
Despite the reopening, airlines have continued to adjust schedules, with lingering delays and scattered cancellations as carriers reposition aircraft and crews. International services to and from hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Sydney and Doha were among those initially affected when Soekarno Hatta closed, and some routes remain on modified timetables while operations normalise.
Publicly available government information emphasises that airport status remains subject to rapid change if ash levels rise again. Authorities continue to coordinate real-time data from BMKG, the national volcanology agency, AirNav Indonesia and airport operators to decide whether to keep facilities open or to order further temporary closures.
Updated Travel Advisories for Indonesia-bound Tourists
Foreign governments have updated their travel advisories for Indonesia in response to the Anak Krakatau eruption and subsequent air travel disruption. The United Kingdom’s foreign travel advice notes that volcanic ash clouds from the eruption led to temporary closures at Jakarta’s two main airports on 5 September, with continued disruption even after runways reopened, and urges travellers to check airline guidance frequently before departure.
Australia’s Smartraveller advisory for Indonesia carries a similar message, highlighting that volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau has affected operations at major airports, including Soekarno Hatta. The advisory encourages visitors to monitor flight status, follow updates from airlines and local operators, and be aware that volcanic ash can also reduce air quality in affected regions, particularly for travellers with respiratory conditions.
These advisories sit alongside existing guidance concerning Indonesia’s broader volcanic landscape. Several other volcanoes across the archipelago remain under heightened alert, and some foreign travel pages specify exclusion zones around active craters. Travellers are advised to review current maps, respect local access restrictions and confirm whether their insurance covers disruption linked to volcanic activity.
While neither Jakarta nor the main resort areas of Bali are within immediate proximity of Anak Krakatau, the eruption has underlined how ash clouds can affect aviation far beyond a volcano’s immediate vicinity. Travel advisories currently recommend that visitors allow extra time in itineraries and remain flexible in case connecting flights require rerouting or overnight stops.
What Travellers Should Expect in the Coming Days
With airports now largely operational, the primary challenges for travellers are congestion, residual delays and potential short-notice schedule changes. Published airport statistics and local media reports indicate that airlines are operating additional services and deploying larger aircraft on some routes where demand and crew availability allow, although it may take several days for networks to fully recover.
Passengers transiting through Jakarta are advised to check their booking management tools and airline apps frequently, as gate allocations and departure times may shift as air traffic flows are recalibrated. Some carriers have introduced limited change-fee waivers or flexible rebooking options for tickets covering travel during the peak disruption period, though conditions vary by airline.
Accommodation near major hubs such as Soekarno Hatta experienced heavy demand during the initial closures, and some hotels continue to report higher-than-normal occupancy from stranded travellers finishing disrupted journeys. For upcoming trips, travel planners suggest holding confirmed bookings for at least the first night in Jakarta or another gateway city, particularly when arriving late in the day or connecting to domestic flights.
Travelers with tight connections to remote islands or smaller regional airports should pay particular attention to domestic sectors. Although most affected airports have reopened, volcanic activity is still being monitored, and additional advisories may be issued if wind conditions change and ash plumes move into major air corridors again.
Safety, Monitoring and Long-term Considerations
Indonesia’s experience with Anak Krakatau this month fits into a longer pattern of aviation impacts from volcanic eruptions in an archipelago that sits on the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire. International civil aviation documentation and recent regional workshops highlight how contingency planning, ash detection technology and cross-border coordination aim to maintain safety while minimising disruption during such events.
For travellers, this means that flight suspensions linked to volcanic ash are likely to be conservative and can extend beyond the period of visible eruption activity. Engines exposed to even relatively thin ash concentrations can incur significant damage, so reopening decisions rely on meteorological modelling, satellite imagery, pilot reports and on-the-ground contamination tests around runways and taxiways.
In the medium term, officials and aviation stakeholders in Indonesia are expected to review the Anak Krakatau disruption to refine procedures, including communication with airlines and passengers, backup routing to alternative airports such as Kertajati in West Java, and coordination with regional volcanic ash advisory centres. Observers note that the speed of reopening at Jakarta’s airports, while cautious, benefited from pre-existing protocols developed during earlier eruptions elsewhere in the country.
Visitors planning trips to Indonesia over the coming weeks are encouraged to keep monitoring official travel advisories from their home governments, follow updates from Indonesia’s meteorological agency and consult airlines for the latest on schedules. While most flights are resuming, volcanic activity can evolve rapidly, and flexibility remains an important part of travel planning across one of the world’s most volcanically active nations.
Indonesia Ministry of Transportation update on post-closure airport operations
BMKG bulletin on Anak Krakatau ash and temporary airport closures
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice for Indonesia