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Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport entered a second day of severe disruption on Monday after waves of temporary closures linked to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau left at least 166,351 passengers affected and pushed one of Southeast Asia’s busiest hubs to a standstill.
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Airport Operations Curtailed by Volcanic Ash
Operational data published since Sunday 6 September 2026 show a series of rolling closures at Soekarno-Hatta as volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau drifted across key flight paths over western Java and the Sunda Strait. Notices to airmen (NOTAMs) issued through Indonesia’s aviation authorities detailed a full suspension of movements from the early hours of Sunday, initially between 01:30 and 05:30 local time, which was then repeatedly extended through the morning as ash contamination persisted on air routes and in the vicinity of the airport apron and runways.
Monitoring updates from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation describe multiple paper test checks around Soekarno-Hatta registering positive for volcanic ash, prompting authorities to prolong the closure first to 09:30, then into the afternoon, and later to the late evening on 6 September under successive NOTAM revisions. Publicly available information from the Transport Ministry on Monday 7 September indicates that Soekarno-Hatta is among eight airports across Java and southern Sumatra whose temporary shutdowns have been extended again, with some restrictions now in place until at least 09:00 local time on 7 September.
While limited technical operations, ground handling and aircraft parking have continued, regular commercial departures and arrivals have been subject to mass cancellations, lengthy delays and diversions to alternative airports. Navigation authorities report that the ash cloud trajectory and concentration remain the primary constraint on safely reopening the main air corridors serving Jakarta’s capital region.
More Than 1,000 Flights and 166,351 Passengers Disrupted
Traffic tallies compiled by airport operator InJourney Airports and cited in regional media coverage show the scale of the disruption at Soekarno-Hatta alone. As of late Sunday night, 1,039 flights at the airport had been recorded as affected by the Anak Krakatau eruption, including a mix of cancellations, long delays and diversions to other Indonesian gateways. These flights span domestic services, international routes and cargo operations, underscoring how widely ash-related restrictions have rippled through the network.
The same data set indicates that 746 of the impacted flights were domestic, 272 international and 21 cargo, with a combined 166,351 passengers caught up in the disruption. Separate monitoring updates from Indonesia’s Transport Ministry point to at least 963 scheduled flights at Soekarno-Hatta being within the formal closure and restriction windows on Sunday, part of a wider count of around 1,558 affected flights and roughly 170,000 passengers across the eight airports experiencing operational suspensions.
Earlier snapshots published by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Sunday morning had already identified 209 flight movements disrupted during the initial closure window from 01:30 to 09:30, directly impacting 22,798 passengers. As the closure period was expanded through additional NOTAMs, that tally climbed sharply through the day, with evening figures and Monday’s early reporting confirming Soekarno-Hatta’s position as the single most heavily affected hub in the country.
Crowded Terminals and Service Recovery on the Ground
Scenes from Jakarta shared by news agencies and social media users on Sunday and Monday depict crowded check-in halls, long queues at airline service counters and passengers seated on terminal floors as they wait for rebooking options. With outbound and inbound schedules repeatedly revised throughout the day, many travelers reported multiple changes to departure times, while others were redirected to secondary airports several hours away from the capital.
InJourney Airports has activated what it describes as a Service Recovery Activation program at Soekarno-Hatta, according to Indonesian media briefings. Under this contingency framework, the airport provides meals and light refreshments for disrupted passengers and coordinates with airlines to arrange buses from terminals to nearby hotels where accommodation is available for those facing overnight delays. Airport monitoring data also show 170 aircraft parked on aprons in remain-overnight status across the three main terminals and cargo area as of early Sunday, reflecting the backlog of equipment unable to depart.
Transport Ministry statements further outline that airlines are expected to provide passenger handling consistent with national regulations when flights are disrupted for safety reasons. Public information from the ministry highlights that carriers are offering changes, rebooking and refunds in line with existing passenger rights rules, while guidance is being updated as the operational situation at Soekarno-Hatta and other affected airports evolves.
Network-wide Impact and Alternative Routing
The cascading effect of Anak Krakatau’s ash plume is not limited to Jakarta. Publicly available notices from Indonesia’s Transport Ministry list seven other airports currently experiencing temporary closures or restrictions alongside Soekarno-Hatta, including Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, Budiarto and Pondok Cabe near Tangerang, and smaller regional gateways in Lampung and South Sumatra. Together, these closures have reshaped domestic and some regional connectivity across western Indonesia.
To ease congestion and maintain key air links, authorities have promoted the use of alternative airports such as Kertajati in West Java, Juanda in Surabaya, Yogyakarta International Airport and facilities in Semarang and Solo. According to ministry updates, land transport in the form of buses and rail connections is being arranged free of charge for passengers whose flights are rerouted to these secondary hubs, in coordination with airport operators and airlines. The combination of diversions and ground transfers is intended to keep essential travel moving while primary airports remain constrained by ash.
International itineraries have also been affected, with earlier transport ministry reporting noting cancellations, delays and rescheduling on routes connecting Jakarta to Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Doha, Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. Passengers on long-haul services are being advised through airline channels to monitor flight status closely and prepare for potential last-minute changes while ash advisories remain in force.
Outlook for Travelers Heading to and from Jakarta
Forecasts from Indonesia’s meteorological and volcanology services, shared through government communications and regional media, indicate that ash dispersion from Anak Krakatau will continue to be closely tracked over the coming days. Aviation notices emphasize that reopening decisions for Soekarno-Hatta and other affected airports will hinge on updated ash concentration measurements and the results of further on-the-ground testing, with safety stated as the overriding criterion for any resumption of normal schedules.
For travelers with near-term plans involving Jakarta, travel advisories and airline statements recommend allowing extra time at airports, maintaining flexible itineraries and checking flight status regularly, particularly for connections routed through western Java. Travel insurance policies that cover natural hazards such as volcanic activity may offer some recourse for rebooking costs, although coverage varies by provider and policy type.
As of Monday 7 September 2026, the picture at Soekarno-Hatta remains fluid: terminals are open to passengers but with many flights still grounded or diverted, and a significant backlog of displaced travelers seeking alternative options. With more than 166,000 passengers already affected and the total likely to rise if ash conditions persist, the Anak Krakatau eruption is emerging as one of the most disruptive volcanic events for Indonesia’s aviation network in recent years, particularly for the country’s primary international gateway.
ANTARA: 1,039 flights and 166,351 passengers affected at Soekarno-Hatta
Jawawa / VIVA: InJourney Airports flight impact data
Indonesian Transport Ministry: extended closures at eight airports
Directorate General of Civil Aviation: closure timelines and passenger impact