Jakarta and Four Other Indonesian Airports Resume Operations After Mount Anak Krakatau Volcanic Ash Disruption

Indonesia has successfully reopened its main airport in Jakarta alongside four other facilities following closures caused by hazardous volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau. Authorities cleared the debris from critical infrastructure, allowing the five airports to resume operations on Tuesday.

The volcanic disruption severely impacted approximately 2,900 flights and left more than 340,000 travellers stranded. Footage shared on social media by Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta captured firefighters and firetrucks diligently washing away layers of ash from runways and operational facilities.

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi cautioned that returning flight schedules to normal may require additional time. Addressing reporters at the airport, Dudy stated, "We ask for a little patience from passengers and the public, as we will be carrying out inspections to ensure that these aircraft are fit to fly." He added, "The first departing aircraft was a cargo plane. We will be operating these aircraft, but before we do so, we want to ensure their airworthiness. So, it may take a bit of extra time."

Located in the strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Mount Anak Krakatau experienced a major eruption on Saturday and erupted at least three times on Tuesday morning, according to Lana Saria, head of the national Geology Agency. "The impact is not as big as the previous eruptions, but we’ll continue to monitor," Lana Saria informed the Reuters news agency.

Mount Anak Krakatau remains one of roughly 130 active volcanoes across Indonesia. The nation is positioned along the seismically active "Pacific Ring of Fire," where shifting crustal plates frequently generate earthquakes and volcanic activity. A significant outburst from the volcano in 2018 caused a partial collapse of its crater, triggering a devastating tsunami along the coasts of Java and Sumatra that claimed more than 400 lives.