Travel Chaos as Eight Indonesian Airports Shut Due to Mount Anak Krakatau Eruptions

Eight Indonesian airports, including two serving Jakarta, remained closed early on Monday morning due to volcanic ash from eruptions at Mount Anak Krakatau, the transport minister reported. Ash from Anak Krakatau, located halfway between Java and Sumatra islands, has blanketed Jakarta and surrounding regions since eruptions began late on Friday, forcing airport closures for safety reasons.

The transport ministry confirmed that 170,000 people have been impacted by ongoing flight cancellations. Jakarta's main airport will stay closed until 6 pm local time (1100 GMT) on Monday, according to its operators. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that the duration of the disruption remains uncertain due to dynamic weather conditions, noting that seven other airports—including those serving nearby provinces Lampung and West Java—will remain closed until at least 08:59 am.

Data from the volcano monitoring agency indicates that the latest eruption of Anak Krakatau occurred on Sunday at 8:23 pm, with authorities warning that the probability of further eruptions remains high. Meteorological agency BMKG reported that volcanic ash reached heights of 20,000 feet on the Java side and up to 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side, affecting parts of Banten province.

In response to the hazards, the disaster agency advised citizens to wear masks outdoors, while schools in Jakarta and Lampung transitioned to remote learning to protect students from health risks, according to Antara. Indonesia is situated on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', a region highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Mount Anak Krakatau—meaning the child of Krakatau—began emerging a century ago from the site of the historic Krakatau volcano, which famously collapsed during massive eruptions in 1883.