More news on this day
Flight disruptions triggered by Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau eruption are forcing thousands of travellers into marathon overland journeys, as soaring airfares and sold-out trains compound the country’s latest bout of transport chaos.
Get the latest news straight to your inbox!
Volcanic ash shuts airports and grounds hundreds of flights
Mount Anak Krakatau’s latest eruption over the Sunda Strait has sent ash clouds across western Indonesia, prompting widespread airspace restrictions and the temporary closure of multiple airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International, the country’s main gateway. According to publicly available figures from Indonesian aviation authorities, at least eight airports across Java and Sumatra have faced full or partial shutdowns since Sunday, September 6, disrupting normal traffic patterns across the archipelago.
Reports indicate that by Monday morning, more than 2,000 flights had been cancelled, delayed or diverted nationwide, affecting upwards of a quarter of a million passengers. At Soekarno Hatta alone, data compiled by airport operator Angkasa Pura shows that well over 900 flights and more than 100,000 travellers were impacted within the first 24 hours of the disruption, with dozens of aircraft effectively stranded on the tarmac as ash advisories remained in force.
National carrier Garuda Indonesia and several low-cost airlines have announced widespread cancellations on routes to and from Jakarta, Bandung and Lampung through at least Monday, September 7. Public information notices from airport operators and airlines stress that the operational changes remain “dynamic,” with schedules subject to rapid revision as meteorological and volcanic conditions evolve.
The cascade of cancellations has left terminals in Jakarta and other hubs crowded with stranded travellers, many of whom had already cleared immigration or security when notices of further delays appeared on departure boards. Travel advisories now urge passengers to avoid heading to airports without confirmed rebookings.
Marathon overland journeys become the only option
With key air corridors closed or heavily constrained, many travellers have turned to a patchwork of ferries, intercity trains, long-distance buses and ride-hailing cars to continue their journeys. Coverage from Indonesian and regional media describes travellers stitching together complex routes that traverse multiple islands, trading what should have been short intercity flights for journeys lasting more than a day.
One widely cited example involves a Bali Jakarta itinerary that stretched into a roughly 27 hour odyssey involving a ferry crossing from Gilimanuk in Bali to East Java, followed by a series of connecting trains across Java to reach the capital. Similar accounts describe passengers flying into alternative airports such as Surabaya or Semarang, then continuing by rail or road for six to ten hours to reach Greater Jakarta or onward domestic connections.
Airport operators and the state airport holding company have attempted to ease some of the strain by deploying free shuttle buses from Soekarno Hatta to cities including Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Surabaya. According to official transport bulletins, these ground connections are intended to funnel stranded passengers toward rail and secondary air hubs that remain open, though seat availability on those onward legs has tightened quickly.
Even for those able to secure overland alternatives, the additional travel time has disrupted work, family and medical plans. Travellers seeking to return for business commitments or caring duties report facing difficult choices between waiting days for a reopened air route or embarking on multi-leg surface journeys across Java at short notice.
Fares spike and popular train routes sell out
The sudden shift from air to land travel has put intense pressure on Indonesia’s already busy rail and intercity bus networks. Data cited by local broadcasters from the state-owned rail operator indicates that passenger numbers on key Java corridors jumped by double digits on Sunday, September 6, compared with typical weekend volumes, as would-be air travellers raced to secure seats.
In the busy Jakarta region, rail officials report that passenger numbers in the main operational area centered on the capital rose by around 16 percent on the first full day of flight disruption. In parallel, online booking platforms show that direct trains between major Java cities such as Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya quickly sold out, forcing travellers to piece together multi-stop itineraries with longer total travel times.
Airfares on remaining routes have surged. Regional media monitoring of booking sites shows examples of one-way tickets between Singapore and Surabaya priced at more than 10 million rupiah, believed to be more than double typical levels for comparable dates. Inside Indonesia, flights into secondary hubs not directly affected by ash clouds have also seen sharp price increases as demand outstrips available capacity.
On some domestic sectors, airlines appear to have closed off their lowest fare buckets, leaving only higher price categories available for last-minute bookings. With both trains and cheaper flights fully booked on many key dates, travellers have increasingly turned to intercity buses, chartered vans and private car services, further straining road networks around major hubs.
Capacity constraints and operational challenges slow recovery
Analysts note that the current disruption is magnified by structural constraints in Indonesia’s aviation system. With Soekarno Hatta functioning as the country’s primary domestic and international hub, any prolonged closure can strand aircraft, crews and maintenance resources in one location. Publicly available estimates from aviation experts suggest that at least 170 aircraft are currently unable to depart from the airport due to safety restrictions around the ash cloud.
The grounding of this fleet has knock-on effects across the domestic network, preventing airlines from redeploying capacity to unaffected airports or rapidly adding extra flights on alternative routes. Carriers face the dual challenge of complying with evolving safety advisories about ash levels at different flight levels while simultaneously managing crew duty limits and maintenance windows thrown off balance by repeated cancellations.
Rail and bus operators, meanwhile, can only add limited additional capacity at short notice. Intercity trains in Java typically run near their maximum feasible frequencies during weekends and peak holidays, leaving little room for surge demand. Bus companies have attempted to put on extra departures from hubs such as Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya, but seat counts remain small compared with the tens of thousands of airline passengers displaced by each wave of cancellations.
Weather agencies and volcanology centers continue to track ash plumes from Anak Krakatau and issue updated advisories to aviation authorities and airlines. While early forecasts suggest that conditions may gradually improve in the coming days, industry observers caution that backlogs of stranded passengers and repositioning of aircraft could keep Indonesia’s air and rail systems under heavy strain even after flight operations resume more broadly.
Uncertain outlook for travellers and tourism
The eruption has arrived at a sensitive time for Indonesia’s tourism sector, which has been working to sustain a recovery in international visitor numbers and domestic leisure travel. Key destinations such as Bali, Lombok and Yogyakarta rely heavily on air links through Jakarta and other Java hubs, meaning any extended disruption risks dampening demand and complicating travel planning during upcoming holiday periods.
Travel industry watchers note that the rapid sell-out of train tickets and sharp airfare spikes may also influence traveller behavior in the short term. Some domestic tourists are likely to postpone or cancel trips rather than undertake complex, multi-leg journeys or pay inflated last-minute fares. International visitors, watching the situation from abroad, may delay bookings to Indonesia or choose itineraries that transit through alternative regional hubs until flight schedules stabilize.
Consumer groups and online travel communities are drawing attention to the patchwork nature of rebooking and refund policies across airlines, with some passengers reporting relatively smooth changes and others facing difficulty reaching call centers or clarifying their options. Publicly available advisories urge passengers to monitor airline channels closely and consider flexible dates or alternative airports when planning trips in the coming week.
For now, travellers across Indonesia are navigating a fragmented transport landscape shaped by natural forces and capacity limits. As Anak Krakatau continues to be closely monitored, the speed at which airports can safely reopen, aircraft can be repositioned and seats can be added on both air and rail networks will determine how long the current wave of marathon journeys and sold-out trains continues.
Channel NewsAsia coverage of Indonesia flight disruptions
Al Jazeera report on Anak Krakatau airport closures
Bernama update on Soekarno Hatta flight suspensions
Detik.com report on passenger and flight impact at Soekarno Hatta