Eight Airports Shut as Volcanic Ash Spreads East
Anak Krakatau, the active volcano rising from the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting continuously since late on September 4, 2026, and the consequences for air travel across western Indonesia are severe. By the evening of September 7, Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed that eight airports would remain closed until midnight after meteorological agency BMKG reported winds shifting direction and carrying volcanic ash eastward at roughly 5 knots at a flight level of 15,000 feet.
The closed airports span a wide arc of the region: Soekarno-Hatta International and Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta; Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufik Kiemas in Lampung; Pondok Cabe and Budiarto in Tangerang; Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, West Java; and Atung Bungsu in South Sumatra.
Scale of the Flight Disruption
Soekarno-Hatta, Indonesia's busiest airport, bore the heaviest impact. Airport operator Angkasa Pura reported 301 affected flights on September 6, including 58 international services. All 33 Singapore-to-Jakarta flights scheduled that day were cancelled, with Singapore Airlines scrapping 19 routes and its budget carrier cancelling another 12. Garuda Indonesia cancelled all services to and from Soekarno-Hatta through noon on September 7, with Bandung and Lampung routes also suspended.
Hundreds of passengers were stranded at Soekarno-Hatta, forming long queues at customer service counters. The Transport Minister confirmed that all affected tickets are refundable and urged airlines to process claims promptly. Diversion options to Kertajati in West Java, Juanda in East Java, and Semarang in Central Java were made available; two flights inbound from Saudi Arabia were redirected to Kertajati.
Health Risks and Daily Life
BMKG satellite imagery taken on the morning of September 6 showed two distinct ash clusters. One reached roughly 6,000 metres and blanketed parts of Jakarta, Banten, and West Java; a second climbed as high as 15,000 metres, spreading across Banten, Lampung, and Bengkulu. Residents across these areas reported eye irritation, and fishermen in Banten and Lampung cancelled trips to sea.
Indonesia's Health Ministry activated emergency operating centres and pre-positioned nebulisers, oxygen concentrators, eye drops, and skin ointments. Authorities urged people to stay indoors and wear masks and protective eyewear when going outside. Jakarta's schools switched to remote learning from September 7 until further notice, citing children's particular vulnerability to ash exposure.
Disaster management agency BNPB began distributing masks and basic supplies and launched weather modification operations, using aircraft to seed clouds and induce rain that could accelerate ash settling. If suitable cloud cover did not develop, water mist dispersal was planned as a fallback.
Tsunami Risk and Volcanic Outlook
Geological Agency head Lana Saria noted that eruption frequency had increased but stressed this does not automatically signal larger events ahead. Low-frequency earthquakes and tremors continued to be recorded, keeping the situation volatile. The 3-kilometre exclusion zone around the active crater remains in force. Authorities confirmed there is no imminent tsunami threat; Lana noted the volcanic structure that reformed after the 2018 eruption is relatively small and not considered capable of a collapse on the scale that triggered the deadly December 2018 tsunami, which killed more than 400 people. Ferry services through the Sunda Strait between Merak and Bakauheni had not been reported disrupted as of the latest update.
President Prabowo Subianto urged calm while directing all relevant agencies, including BMKG, BNPB, the military, police, and health and transport ministries, to maintain monitoring and readiness.
Why It Matters for Hosts
Independent accommodation and experience operators in Jakarta, Bandung, Banten, and Lampung should prepare for a wave of last-minute cancellations alongside stranded guests who need extended stays. Proactive communication is essential: update guests on local air quality, school closures, and any changes to transport links before they ask. Keep a stock of masks available for guests, and consider a flexible rebooking policy for the duration of the disruption. Operators near the Sunda Strait should also monitor ferry status, as that corridor remains a key surface alternative for travelers rerouting away from closed airports.
Details of the airport closures, flight cancellations, and official statements were first reported by Hariz Baharudin and Karina Tehusijarana for The Straits Times, as republished by Asia News Network.
First reported by asianews.network.