TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s main airport along with several regional airports on Tuesday, following disruptions caused by ash from Anak Krakatau. The volcanic activity impacted nearly 3,000 flights and affected over 340,000 travelers nationwide. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed its operations after authorities confirmed that ash levels had decreased. Monitoring teams observed three smaller eruptions on Tuesday morning. The volcano remained at Level III, which is the second-highest alert status in Indonesia.
According to the Ministry of Transportation, airports including Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara reopened shortly after midnight on Tuesday. Budiarto Airport and Pondok Cabe Airport resumed operations a little over two hours later. Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra had already reopened on Monday, while Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas airports in Lampung remained under assessment. Authorities also mandated safety inspections for aircraft exposed to the prolonged ash disruption before they could return to service.
The temporary closure was triggered when Anak Krakatau ejected ash into the airspace over Jakarta and nearby regions. During the disruption, eight airports suspended operations, including Indonesia’s busiest international hub. Airlines responded by adjusting both domestic and international schedules as ash spread across major flight corridors. Volcanic ash presents a serious hazard to aircraft engines and can impair visibility. Aviation officials restricted flights in areas where ash was detected, leading to widespread delays, cancellations, and diversions across the country’s aviation network.
Airports resume operations after significant interruption
Late on Friday, Anak Krakatau entered a prolonged eruptive phase in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Continuous activity began at 11:07 p.m. and concluded shortly after midnight on Sunday, lasting approximately 25 hours. Monitoring later recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after this continuous phase ended. Earlier ash plumes reached heights of nearly 50,000 feet in some regions, spreading high-altitude ash across parts of western Indonesia and prompting authorities to restrict airspace access in affected zones.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III and kept a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active center. Officials advised those affected by ash to limit outdoor activities or wear masks. They also urged residents in coastal communities of Banten and Lampung to rely solely on official sources for information and warned against circulating unverified tsunami claims. Monitoring continued after the eruptive episode concluded, with instruments detecting ongoing seismic activity and additional eruptions on the volcanic island.
Over 340,000 passengers affected by the disruption
As flights gradually resumed on Tuesday, airport operators worked through the impact of the shutdown. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft that had been grounded during the closure underwent inspection. Flight crews were provided with updated information regarding restricted airspace and lingering volcanic ash concerns. Authorities continued assessments around affected airports before normal operations could fully resume. This disruption represented one of the most significant operational impacts from Anak Krakatau’s activity during this eruptive cycle.
Situated in the Sunda Strait, Anak Krakatau emerged within the volcanic system resulting from the historic Krakatau eruptions. The volcano has shown increased activity during 2026, including eruptions recorded since July. A major collapse during an eruption in December 2018 triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts more than 100 active volcanoes and is situated along major tectonic boundaries within the Pacific Ring of Fire, where frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.