Seven Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed on Monday morning because of volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, Indonesia’s transport minister said. The disruptions have affected 170,000 passengers after ash reached airspace around Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport.
The volcano, located between Java and Sumatra, began erupting late on Friday. Authorities extended the suspension at Soekarno-Hatta and six other airports until 6pm Monday local time, while warning that further eruptions remained likely.
Ash disrupts travel and schools
The airport closures also affected facilities serving Jakarta’s nearby provinces of Lampung and West Java. Some shipping was disrupted, and ash covered cars and roadsides in Bandar Lampung at the southern tip of Sumatra.
Jakarta said schools moved classes online on Monday, but did not specify how long that arrangement would continue. Passengers sought alternative flights, while some rescheduled journeys because of the cancellations.
Key figures
- 1,558 flights were delayed across eight affected airports.
- More than 900 of the affected flights were to or from Soekarno-Hatta.
- Ships have been told to increase vigilance in the strait between Java and Sumatra.
- Vessels are barred from a 3km exclusion zone around Anak Krakatau.
Authorities warn of more eruptions
Eruptions on Saturday produced a lava fountain and booming sounds heard hundreds of kilometres away, according to the geology agency. Further eruptions were recorded on Sunday, with the latest listed at 8.23pm.
The volcano monitoring agency said the probability of additional eruptions in the coming periods remained high. Geology agency head Lana Saria warned people not to approach because ejected material could endanger anyone inside the exclusion zone. For additional context, see “Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau disrupts Jakarta flights”.
Saria said the current series of eruptions did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami. Anak Krakatau has been intermittently active since emerging from the sea in the caldera created by the 1883 Krakatau eruption.
What happens next
The airport authority said the suspension at Soekarno-Hatta and six other airports was extended until 6pm Monday local time. The transport minister said authorities could not determine when the disruption would end because weather conditions were changing.
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