Anak Krakatau Eruption Grounds Flights Across Three Indonesian Hubs
A fresh eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait on Sunday, 6 September 2026, pushed volcanic ash across a wide arc of Indonesian airspace, forcing airport closures and canceling dozens of scheduled flights between Jakarta, Lombok, and Makassar.
Soekarno-Hatta at the Center of the Disruption
The most consequential closure was at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, which suspended operations after ash was detected in the airport area. Under NOTAM A3341/26, the suspension was extended to 1:30 p.m. WIB as ash continued to linger. The knock-on effects spread quickly: Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta and Radin Inten II International Airport in Lampung also implemented temporary closures after volcanic ash entered their respective airspace. At Radin Inten II, several Lampung-Jakarta services were canceled and others delayed.
According to separate reporting by Tempo, the Soekarno-Hatta closure ultimately affected 209 flights and approximately 22,798 passengers.
Lombok and Makassar: Specific Flights Canceled
At Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Central Lombok, eight flights on the Jakarta-Lombok corridor were grounded. Aidhil Philip Julian, general manager of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at the airport, confirmed the cancellations and urged passengers to monitor airline channels for updates. Four departures from Lombok were affected, including services by TransNusa, Super Air Jet, Garuda Indonesia, and Citilink Indonesia, scheduled between 6:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. WITA. Four corresponding arrivals from Jakarta were also canceled. Aidhil noted that ground operations at the airport remained normal throughout.
In Makassar, Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport reported 21 affected flights: 12 canceled outright and nine delayed. One stranded passenger, Nurlia, told reporters she had already waited three hours for confirmation on her Makassar-to-Jakarta flight.
Ash Spread and Monitoring
Indonesia's meteorological and geophysical agency BMKG identified two distinct ash clusters on satellite imagery, spreading across Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and Bengkulu, moving in different directions at different altitudes. That variability in ash movement is significant: it means conditions can shift with little warning as wind patterns change at different atmospheric levels.
Passengers whose flights were canceled were offered refunds or rebooking options by airlines and airport operators. Aidhil advised travelers to contact the Angkasa Pura Indonesia Contact Center at 172 for real-time information.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent accommodation operators in Lombok, Jakarta, and Makassar should treat volcanic disruption as a recurring operational reality rather than a one-off event. When ash grounds incoming flights, guests may arrive late, cancel at short notice, or need to extend their stay unexpectedly. A clear, proactive communication protocol, including a template message explaining the situation and your rebooking or cancellation terms, can reduce friction and protect your reputation. It is also worth reviewing your force-majeure and cancellation policies now, before the next event, so guests understand their options and you are not making ad-hoc decisions under pressure. Keeping a direct line open to the nearest airport's information center (in Lombok's case, the Angkasa Pura Indonesia Contact Center at 172) gives you a reliable source to pass on to guests.
The flight disruption details in this post were first reported by Antara and published by Tempo.co on 6 September 2026. This post is published by the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by en.tempo.co.