TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia has reopened Jakarta’s primary airport along with several regional airfields on Tuesday following a volcanic ash cloud from Anak Krakatau that disrupted air traffic. During the period of disruption, over 340,000 travelers experienced delays, cancellations, or diversions. The impact was felt across nearly 3,000 flights throughout the country. Authorities managed to reopen Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after winds cleared ash from critical aviation zones. Anak Krakatau remained active on Tuesday, with monitoring stations registering three smaller eruptions during the morning hours.
The Ministry of Transportation announced that Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara airports resumed operations at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Budiarto Airport in Curug and Pondok Cabe Airport followed suit at 2:25 a.m. Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra had reopened earlier, on Monday morning. However, two airports in Lampung, Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas, are still awaiting further assessment according to the latest official transport update. Before resuming normal operations, aircraft safety inspections were mandated by airport authorities.
The closures were initiated after Anak Krakatau dispersed volcanic ash across airspace serving Jakarta and its surroundings. During the disruption, operations at eight airports were halted, including Indonesia’s busiest international gateway at Soekarno-Hatta. Volcanic ash poses a serious risk to aviation as it can damage engines and impair visibility. Authorities also restricted aircraft from entering airspaces where ash monitoring indicated the presence of volcanic material. As a result, both domestic and international schedules experienced disruptions, with airlines adjusting departures, arrivals, and aircraft movements at affected airports.
Major airports reopen following ash clearance
Anak Krakatau’s latest phase of sustained activity began late on Friday in the Sunda Strait, situated between Java and Sumatra. An eruptive episode that started at 11:07 p.m. Friday continued for approximately 25 hours, ending shortly after midnight on Sunday. Monitoring recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after the continuous phase concluded. Earlier, ash clouds reached altitudes approaching 50,000 feet in some regions, spreading volcanic material across parts of western Indonesia and disrupting key flight corridors.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III, Indonesia’s second-highest volcanic alert level. Authorities enforced a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active center. Officials advised residents affected by volcanic ash to reduce outdoor activity or wear masks. Coastal communities in Banten and Lampung were instructed to follow official guidance and to reject unverified tsunami claims. The volcano’s monitoring network continued recording seismic and eruptive activity after the long-lasting eruption ended over the weekend.
Flight disruptions affect hundreds of thousands
The three smaller eruptions on Tuesday occurred as airports managed the fallout from the multi-day shutdown. Officials mandated inspections of aircraft that remained grounded during the closure. At Soekarno-Hatta, 178 aircraft required airworthiness checks before being fully cleared for operation. Pilots and crew received specific instructions regarding restricted airspace contaminated with volcanic ash. These measures accompanied the reopening process, which was contingent on officials’ assessment that flying conditions had sufficiently improved.
Anak Krakatau is an active volcanic island located in the Sunda Strait and is part of the Krakatau volcanic complex. Its activity has escalated during 2026, with eruptions recorded since July. The volcano also experienced a significant collapse during an eruption in December 2018, which triggered a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia hosts over 100 active volcanoes, situated along major tectonic boundaries in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.