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Jakarta’s main international gateway, Soekarno-Hatta Airport, has extended a temporary shutdown on Sunday, 6 September 2026, as ash from the erupting Anak Krakatau volcano continues to drift across busy flight corridors in western Indonesia.
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Flight suspensions widened as ash cloud moves over Jakarta
Publicly available information from Indonesia’s civil aviation authorities indicates that Soekarno-Hatta International Airport first halted operations in the early hours of Sunday after paper tests at the airport detected volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau. An initial closure window from 1.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. local time disrupted at least 209 flight movements and affected more than 22,000 passengers on domestic and international routes.
Further updates from the transport ministry show that the shutdown was later extended as ash continued to be detected over the capital region. Notices to air missions (NOTAMs) cited continued positive ash findings and led to an extension of the operating halt into the afternoon period, with Soekarno-Hatta reported by regional media and aviation trackers as remaining closed into mid-afternoon local time.
Regional outlets and global news agencies describe a cascading impact that has rippled across the network. Flights linking Jakarta with major hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Doha and Amsterdam have faced cancellations, delays and diversions, while domestic sectors to cities including Lampung, Denpasar, Surabaya and Makassar have also been hit.
Travel data shared in official bulletins suggests that hundreds of services have now been affected across Indonesia’s western airspace, with Jakarta at the center of what is rapidly becoming one of Southeast Asia’s most disruptive aviation events of the year.
Multiple airports affected as closure window extended
According to detailed updates published by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the Anak Krakatau eruption has forced several airports in western Java and southern Sumatra to close or lengthen earlier suspensions. Soekarno-Hatta in Tangerang, Halim Perdanakusuma in East Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung, the Budiarto training airport in Tangerang and Pondok Cabe south of Jakarta were all listed as temporarily shut for varying periods on Sunday.
One transport ministry bulletin dated 6 September reports that Soekarno-Hatta’s closure was prolonged to at least 1.30 p.m. local time, with Halim, Radin Inten II and Pondok Cabe also extending their suspensions to around 2.00 p.m. The same document notes that Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara Airport returned a positive ash result in a paper test, with a closure notice expected to follow.
In a separate report, Indonesia’s transport minister stated that six affected airports would keep their runways closed until at least 5.00 p.m. local time to maintain flight safety as ash continues to move through the region’s airspace. National media coverage indicates that this rolling extension reflects ongoing assessments of ash concentration at different altitudes rather than fixed end times, and that reopening decisions will be taken in stages as conditions allow.
State-owned operator InJourney Airports has also reported dozens of disrupted services at Soekarno-Hatta alone, while civil aviation updates put the wider tally of affected flights across the network in the hundreds as of late Sunday morning.
Volcanic activity intensifies at Anak Krakatau
Indonesia’s meteorological, climatological and geophysical agency BMKG has issued a series of public statements describing heightened activity at Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Monitoring data released on 6 September notes continuous eruptive episodes since early September, following an escalation of activity that began in July 2026.
BMKG’s assessment highlights a sustained ash column and gas emissions rising several kilometers above the volcano’s crater, with satellite observations showing plumes drifting east and southeast toward the Jakarta metropolitan area and parts of West Java. Additional dispersion has been detected over Lampung, southern Sumatra, Banten and coastal areas bordering the Sunda Strait.
Indonesia’s disaster management agency BNPB reports that seismic instruments recorded a prolonged eruption phase in the early hours of Saturday, with tremor signatures consistent with significant ash output. While there have been no immediate reports of large-scale evacuations, local authorities around the Sunda Strait are continuing to monitor the situation for potential impacts on coastal communities and maritime traffic.
Experts regularly note that even moderate eruptions can pose a serious hazard to aviation, as volcanic ash can damage jet engines, affect visibility and contaminate airport infrastructure. For that reason, the precautionary closure of airports and rerouting of flights is being framed in public information as a safety-first response as long as ash remains present in the atmosphere above key corridors.
Travellers face delays, diversions and rolling rebooking
Coverage from regional news outlets and aviation tracking platforms shows passengers at Soekarno-Hatta spending long hours in terminals as airlines work to rearrange schedules around the evolving closure windows. Some international carriers have diverted flights to Singapore and other nearby hubs, while others have cancelled services outright until clearer guidance on reopening times is available.
Passenger accounts shared through local media and social platforms describe late-night cancellations at Jakarta’s main terminals as the first closure took effect, followed by waves of delays and rebookings throughout Sunday morning. With hundreds of aircraft rotations disrupted, Indonesia’s civil aviation authorities have warned of possible knock-on effects for the broader network even after ash conditions ease over Jakarta.
Advisories issued by airport operators and airlines urge travellers to check their flight status directly with carriers before heading to the airport, and to expect that departure boards may change at short notice as new NOTAMs are published. Some carriers are allowing free rebooking or refunds for affected itineraries, particularly on international routes through Jakarta.
Travel industry analysts note that the timing of the eruption coincides with a period of steadily recovering passenger demand in Indonesia, raising the likelihood that aircraft and crew rotations will take several days to normalize. Western Indonesia’s dense traffic flows, combined with Anak Krakatau’s proximity to major airways, mean that continued vigilance will be required from both operators and travellers planning journeys in the coming days.
Ongoing monitoring and what comes next
BMKG has stated in its latest public release that round the clock monitoring of Anak Krakatau will continue, using a combination of seismic instruments, satellite imagery and ash dispersion models to support aviation and maritime planning. The agency has emphasized that the situation remains dynamic and that forecast ash trajectories will be updated frequently as wind patterns shift.
Indonesia’s transport ministry has similarly outlined plans for phased reopening once ash tests at affected airports consistently return negative results. Priority is expected to be given to clearing backlogs on major domestic trunk routes and key regional links, while airlines refine their schedules to recover aircraft and crew from diverted or stranded positions around the region.
For now, publicly accessible advisories encourage travellers with bookings into or out of Jakarta, Lampung and surrounding areas to monitor airline communications and official digital channels throughout the day. Given the ongoing eruption and the extended closure announcements already in place, further adjustments to flight operations remain likely as authorities balance connectivity needs with stringent safety requirements.
Observers note that Anak Krakatau’s current eruptive phase fits a broader pattern of intermittent activity in the Sunda Strait that has periodically affected aviation and shipping in recent years. The latest disruption underlines the continuing importance of robust early warning systems, contingency planning and cross-border coordination in one of the world’s busiest and most geologically active transport regions.
Indonesia Ministry of Transportation aviation update
Channel NewsAsia coverage of Jakarta airport suspension