Eight airports closed, 17,000 travellers stranded after Indonesian volcano erupts
Multiple flights in and out of Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport remain delayed or cancelled this morning after 170,000 passengers were left stranded by a volcanic eruption.
Flights to and from Australian airports have also been disrupted, with travellers urged to contact their airline with queries.
Lava glows during the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in Sunda Strait, Indonesia. AP
The volcano Anak Krakatau, located in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands showed signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53am local time on Sunday, Indonesia’s Geological Agency said.
Jakarta’s airport, the country’s biggest, initially suspended flights from 5.30am to 9.30am local time, before later yesterday extending that suspension to 5.30pm.
AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, as well as six other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, because of volcanic ash.
By Sunday evening, the closure of eight airports had affected 170,000 passengers from 1558 cancelled flights, including 963 flights in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport alone.
All eight airports were ordered closed until midnight.
This morning, the airport’s website shows multiple scheduled arrivals and departures still heavily delayed or cancelled, particularly early in the morning.
But other flights are displayed as “on time”, suggesting a partial reinstatement of services, though the airport has issued no official statement on the matter.
No casualties were recorded from the eruption and no evacuation orders issued.
But the agency warned residents and visitors to stay at least three kilometres from the volcano’s active crater.
Indonesia's volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Australia identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery.
One plume rose to an altitude of 20,000 feet while drifting northeast, affecting parts of Jakarta, Banten, West Java and surrounding waters.
A second cloud reached 50,000 feet and was moving westward and northwestward, covering parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra.
Volcanic ash spread across parts of the capital Jakarta and Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra island, Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said.
Travellers walk past an information board showing disrupted flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Indonesia. AP
The Australian government has urged travellers to remain vigilant if they are in the area and to be aware of flight cancellations in an update published to Smart Traveller.
“Volcanic ash may affect air quality. People with asthma or other respiratory conditions should take extra care and follow health advice from local authorities,” the federal government said in an advice update.
“Due to increased activity from the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has temporarily suspended flight operations from 5:30 am to 9.30am,” the airport said in a travel advisory early Sunday.
Passengers at the country’s busiest airport sought refunds and reclaimed checked baggage as departure boards displayed a growing list of cancelled flights.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation said it was closely monitoring the eruption's impact on air travel and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorology agency.
Firefighters spray water to clear the road from volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in Bandar Lampung, Indonesia. AP Photo/Wauntara
Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with Sunday’s eruption the strongest during that period.
The repeated eruptions indicate a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano, she said, though officials can’t predict whether a larger eruption will occur.
“We continue to evaluate the volcano’s development based on all monitoring data, not solely on the number of eruptions or the height of the ash column,” Saria said in a video briefing.
She said the main hazards include volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas and the ejection of hot rocks and other material around the crater area.
“Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision,” Lukman F Laisa, Ministry of Transportation director general of civil aviation, said in a statement.
He warned flight schedules could face cascading disruptions affecting aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity as airlines work to restore operations.
Authorities urged travellers to check with airlines for the latest flight information and advised passengers temporarily avoid the airport unless necessary.
A long exposure photo shows lava erupting from Mount Anak Krakatau in 2018. AAP
Anak Krakatau, which means “child of Kratakau,” is the offspring of the famous Krakatau, whose monumental 1883 eruption triggered a period of global cooling.
The eruption caused a tsunami in 2018 that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java.
Researchers believe volcanic activity triggered an underwater landslide and caused a large chunk of Anak Krakatau’s southwest slope to collapse and displace a large volume of water.
The volcano has been rated at second-highest alert status on a scale of four since has remained in place since then. Scientists said Anak Krakatau island is now only about a quarter of its original size.
