Indonesia extended the closure of eight airports in western Indonesia, including Jakarta’s main international airport, Soekarno-Hatta, until Monday, September 7, following continued eruptions of Anak Krakatau. Shifting winds carried volcanic ash, necessitating the extended closures. The disruption significantly impacted air travel, with 301 flights at Soekarno-Hatta alone, including 58 international services, affected. Overall, the transportation ministry reported that more than 1,500 flights across the eight affected airports were delayed, stranding around 170,000 passengers.
Several airlines, including Singapore Airlines (SIA), Scoot, Garuda Indonesia, Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, and Lion Air Group, cancelled numerous flights. SIA cancelled 19 flights and Scoot 12 flights between Singapore and Jakarta on September 6, with further cancellations for September 7. Garuda Indonesia cancelled all flights to and from Soekarno-Hatta until noon on September 7, and also halted flights to Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung and Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung. Passengers were left stranded at airports, facing long queues for rebooking or refunds, and some expressed frustration over late notifications from airlines.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi announced the extended closures, noting that wind patterns had shifted, carrying ash eastward at 15,000 feet. The affected airports include Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta; Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufik Kiemas airports in Lampung; Pondok Cabe and Budiarto airports in Tangerang; Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, West Java; and Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra. Airlines were offered alternative landing airports such as Kertajati, Juanda, and Semarang, with two Jeddah and Madinah flights already diverted to Kertajati. Authorities have warned of potential knock-on effects on flight schedules and terminal capacity and urged passengers to check with their airlines.
