Jakarta's Main Airport Reopens After Anak Krakatau Ash Grounds Thousands of Flights

THE ERUPTION

Mount Anak Krakatau, the volcanic island that rose from the crater left by the catastrophic 1883 Krakatoa eruption, began erupting late on Friday, August 28, sending a fountain of lava into the sky and producing booming sounds heard as far as 700 kilometers away, according to Indonesia's meteorological agency BMKG. The volcano continued erupting intermittently through the following week, including at least three eruptions in a single morning.

THE DISRUPTION

Ash drifted over Jakarta and surrounding regions, forcing the closure of eight airports across Indonesia, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the country's main gateway. In total, the disruption halted 2,961 flights, comprising 2,339 domestic and 622 international services, and affected more than 340,000 passengers. BMKG recorded ash rising as high as 6,000 meters on the Java side of the volcano and up to 15,000 meters over parts of Sumatra and Banten province.

THE REOPENING

Soekarno-Hatta resumed operations on Tuesday after winds blew the ash away from the airport, with four other affected airports reopening the same day once authorities cleared volcanic ash from runways and other critical infrastructure. Airlines still needed to check the airworthiness of the 178 aircraft that had been grounded at Soekarno-Hatta during the closure before returning them to service.

WHAT'S NEXT

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said there was no imminent tsunami risk from the eruption. Officials say they will continue monitoring the volcano with airlines and air navigation services, given the risk of further eruptions disrupting the reopened airspace.