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Royal Brunei Airlines has cancelled a series of Brunei–Jakarta flights after the latest eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash into Jakarta’s airspace, disrupting airport operations and forcing airlines across the region to adjust schedules.
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Targeted cancellations on Brunei–Jakarta route
Royal Brunei’s disruption began over the weekend, with the carrier announcing that flights BI735 from Brunei to Jakarta and BI736 from Jakarta to Brunei scheduled for 6 September 2026 were cancelled in response to the Anak Krakatau eruption. Publicly available travel updates from the airline list the two sectors as cancelled for that date, citing the need to protect passengers and crew.
Further adjustments have followed as ash continued to affect western Indonesia’s skies. A separate flight notice published through regulatory disclosure channels states that services BI737 and BI738 between Brunei and Jakarta, due to operate in the early hours of 8 September, have also been cancelled. The advisory instructs passengers not to proceed to the airport and to contact customer service for assistance with rebooking or refunds.
The sequence of cancellations indicates that Royal Brunei is treating the Brunei–Jakarta corridor as particularly exposed to the ash cloud from Anak Krakatau, which lies between Java and Sumatra. While the carrier continues to operate other regional routes, the Jakarta link has been paused in line with airspace and airport constraints around the Indonesian capital.
Anak Krakatau eruption triggers widespread air travel disruption
The Royal Brunei changes come amid a broader wave of flight cancellations across Indonesia and the wider region linked to Anak Krakatau’s latest eruptive phase. According to international news coverage, the volcano produced a prolonged eruption over the weekend that lofted ash high into the atmosphere and pushed plumes toward the greater Jakarta area, prompting closures and restrictions at Soekarno Hatta International Airport and other airports in western Indonesia.
Updates from Indonesia’s transportation authorities describe temporary suspensions of operations at multiple airports due to volcanic ash contamination of airspace and runways. Official summaries of the situation report hundreds of affected flights and tens of thousands of stranded passengers as operators paused arrivals and departures until conditions could be reassessed.
Local and regional reports highlight that the impact is not limited to domestic carriers. Foreign airlines serving Jakarta and nearby gateways have also adjusted schedules, with some cancelling or rerouting services as a precaution. The evolving pattern underlines how a single volcanic event in the Sunda Strait can ripple through one of Southeast Asia’s busiest aviation corridors.
Safety considerations and regional airline responses
Royal Brunei is one of several airlines in Southeast Asia to reference volcanic ash as a trigger for short-notice schedule changes. Travel advisories from other regional carriers serving Jakarta note that flights have been suspended or rerouted because of ash originating from the Anak Krakatau eruption, with some operators publishing rolling lists of cancelled services.
Volcanic ash poses well documented risks for aviation, including potential engine damage and reduced visibility, and is often treated more conservatively than other weather events. Public information from Indonesia’s transport ministry describes continuous monitoring of ash dispersion and coordination with air navigation authorities to determine when airspace can be safely reopened.
In this context, Royal Brunei’s suspension of the Brunei–Jakarta flights fits with the wider regional approach of prioritising safety over schedule reliability. With ash advisories in effect over parts of western Indonesia, point to point links into Jakarta’s main airport remain particularly vulnerable to sudden operational pauses.
Options for affected Royal Brunei passengers
Royal Brunei’s notices advise passengers booked on the cancelled Brunei–Jakarta flights to seek assistance directly through the airline’s customer service channels rather than travelling to the airport. The carrier lists a 24 hour call centre, messaging options and email contacts as the primary routes for rebooking, refunds or credit vouchers.
While the airline has not publicly detailed the number of passengers affected, the cancellations coincide with a period in which Indonesian authorities report substantial disruption across several airports and hundreds of flights. Travellers with onward connections from Jakarta may therefore face additional complications as they attempt to rebook on alternative services once operations resume.
Given the uncertain trajectory of volcanic ash clouds, passengers are being advised across the region to monitor airline announcements closely and to factor in the possibility of further changes as assessments of Anak Krakatau’s activity continue.
Jakarta’s connectivity and what comes next
Jakarta is a key regional hub for both domestic and international travel, and the temporary suspension of certain flights, including Royal Brunei’s Brunei–Jakarta services, underscores its central role in Southeast Asian connectivity. Information from Indonesia’s transport ministry indicates that the reopening of affected airports will depend on ongoing safety evaluations of ash dispersion, runway conditions and airspace integrity.
Travel industry observers suggest that once volcanic activity subsides and airspace restrictions are lifted, airlines are likely to move quickly to restore core routes such as Jakarta–Brunei, albeit with possible short term capacity adjustments. For now, however, the combination of extended airport closures and continued monitoring of Anak Krakatau means that disruption could persist beyond the immediate wave of cancellations already announced.
Passengers planning to travel between Brunei and Indonesia in the coming days are being encouraged through public advisories and airline updates to check their flight status frequently and to build additional flexibility into their itineraries while the aviation system around Jakarta adapts to the evolving volcanic situation.
Royal Brunei Airlines travel update: 6 September 2026
Royal Brunei flight notice for BI737 and BI738