September 7, 2026
JAKARTA – Eight airports in western Indonesia, together with Jakarta’s essential worldwide gateway, will stay closed till Sept 7 as shifting winds unfold volcanic ash from the persevering with eruption of Anak Krakatau.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi introduced the prolonged closures after 7pm Singapore time, saying the wind had shifted course and was now carrying volcanic ash eastwards.
“This afternoon, the wind was blowing in the direction of the west, however now the knowledge from BMKG is that it’s blowing east, with a pace of 5 knots at a flight stage of 15,000 ft,” Dudy stated at a digital press convention, referring to the meteorological company.
“Primarily based on that info, and after coordinating with all of the stakeholders, now we have determined that every one eight affected airports will likely be closed till midnight.”
The eight are Soekarno-Hatta Worldwide 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.
Soekarno-Hatta, Indonesia’s busiest airport, was closed for many of Sept 6, with its reopening repeatedly pushed again because the authorities monitored the motion of volcanic ash. It had most not too long ago been scheduled to reopen at 9.30pm native time.
The disruption affected 301 flights at Soekarno-Hatta, together with 58 worldwide companies, airport operator Angkasa Pura stated.
A Changi Airport Group spokesman stated all 33 flights scheduled to depart Singapore for Jakarta on Sept 6 had been cancelled as at 6pm Singapore time due to the eruption.
Singapore Airways cancelled 19 flights between Singapore and Jakarta on Sept 6, whereas its funds arm, Scoot, cancelled one other 12.
SIA stated the state of affairs remained fluid and different flights between Singapore and Indonesia might be affected. Scoot stated affected prospects had been contacted and will rebook their flights or search a full refund in the event that they selected to not journey.
Garuda Indonesia has cancelled all flights to and from Soekarno-Hatta as much as midday on Sept 7. Flights to and from Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, West Java, and Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung have additionally been cancelled.
Lots of of travellers have been stranded at Soekarno-Hatta, with lengthy queues forming at customer support counters as passengers sought to rebook their flight or get a refund.
President Prabowo Subianto on Sept 6 urged Indonesians to stay calm however vigilant, significantly these in Jakarta, Banten, Lampung and areas across the Sunda Strait.
In an announcement posted on his official Instagram account, Prabowo stated he had been monitoring Anak Krakatau’s exercise and receiving updates for the reason that eruption started.
He stated he had instructed authorities businesses, together with BMKG and catastrophe administration company BNPB, in addition to the army, police, native governments and the well being and transport ministries, to proceed monitoring the state of affairs and be certain that preparedness measures and help have been in place.
“Persons are urged to stay calm, however should not let their guard down,” Prabowo stated.
He additionally urged individuals to steer clear of Anak Krakatau and adjust to the hazard zone established by the authorities.
The Jakarta provincial authorities stated faculties within the capital would swap to distant studying from Sept 7 till additional discover as a precaution towards publicity to volcanic ash. The measure applies to private and non-private faculties throughout all ranges, with the authorities saying kids are significantly weak to the results of ash.
Dudy stated airways had been supplied the choice of diverting Jakarta-bound flights to various airports, together with Kertajati in West Java, Juanda in East Java and Semarang in Central Java. Two Jakarta-bound flights from Jeddah and Madinah have been diverted to Kertajati Worldwide Airport.
Dudy added that tickets for affected flights have been refundable and urged airways to course of refunds rapidly.
The authorities have warned that the disruption might have knock-on results on plane rotations, fleet availability, subsequent flight schedules and terminal capability, and urged travellers to test with their airways earlier than heading to the airport.
Anak Krakatau, positioned within the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since late on Sept 4.
Volcanic ash was detected at Soekarno-Hatta early on Sept 6, prompting the airport closure.
BMKG stated satellite tv for pc imagery taken at 8am on Sept 6 confirmed two clusters of volcanic ash.
One reached an altitude of about 6,000m and lined elements of Jakarta, Banten and West Java, whereas one other reached as excessive as 15,000m and prolonged throughout elements of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu.
At a press convention on Sept 6, Geological Company head Lana Saria stated the course and unfold of volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau might change at any time.
She stated the frequency of eruptions had elevated, however cautioned that this didn’t essentially imply bigger eruptions would observe.
Exercise remained unstable and had the potential to accentuate as low-frequency earthquakes and tremors continued to be recorded, she added.
“However nonetheless, timing, magnitude and kind of the subsequent eruptions can’t be precisely predicted,” Lana stated.
Persons are prohibited from going inside 3km of Anak Krakatau’s lively crater.
Well being response
Indonesia’s Well being Ministry has activated Well being Emergency Working Centres to coordinate the medical response in areas affected by volcanic ash, because the authorities put together for respiratory, eye and pores and skin issues.
Well being Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin stated the ministry had ready nebulisers and oxygen concentrators for individuals struggling respiratory issues, in addition to eye drops and ointments for eye and pores and skin irritations attributable to volcanic ash.
Residents in affected areas have been urged to remain indoors the place attainable and put on masks and glasses in the event that they needed to go outdoors.
BNPB can also be finishing up climate modification operations to scale back the quantity of volcanic ash within the air.
Plane have been being ready at Pondok Cabe Airport, on the southern outskirts of Jakarta, for operations by the night, with the authorities looking for to induce rain that might assist carry volcanic ash down extra rapidly.
If appropriate rain clouds didn’t develop over Jakarta, Banten and Lampung, BNPB and BMKG might as a substitute use water mist to assist disperse hazardous ash particles, BNPB chief Suharyanto stated.
BNPB has additionally begun distributing fundamental provides and masks to affected communities.
Volcanic ash has additionally disrupted day by day life in elements of Banten and Lampung, with fishermen cancelling fishing journeys and residents reporting eye irritation.
In Jakarta, the authorities ended town’s weekly Automotive-Free Day an hour early at 9am on Sept 6 as a precaution towards attainable publicity to volcanic ash.
The eruption has additionally prompted the authorities to step up precautions for vessels utilizing the Sunda Strait.
The Banten port authorities informed ships transiting the strait to stay vigilant for volcanic ash, ejected volcanic materials and different hazards. Ferry companies between Merak in Java and Bakauheni in Sumatra haven’t been reported disrupted, in keeping with BNPB.
The authorities stated there was no imminent tsunami risk.
Lana stated the volcanic construction that had re-formed following Anak Krakatau’s 2018 eruption remained comparatively small and was not thought-about able to collapsing on a scale that might set off a tsunami.
“Nonetheless, developments in exercise and adjustments in morphology proceed to be monitored intensively,” she stated.
A collapse of a part of Anak Krakatau throughout an eruption in December 2018 triggered a tsunami that killed greater than 400 individuals alongside the coasts of Java and Sumatra.
Anak Krakatau, which suggests “Little one of Krakatau”, emerged from the world as soon as occupied by Krakatau, which was largely destroyed in its catastrophic 1883 eruption. That eruption and ensuing tsunamis killed greater than 36,000 individuals.
