Jakarta (AFP) – Jakarta’s main airport and three others delayed reopening on Monday after halting operations due to a volcanic eruption, leaving hundreds of thousands stranded. Mount Anak Krakatau, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Indonesia’s capital, erupted on Saturday, spewing a fountain of lava and a plume of volcanic ash. Eight airports had halted operations over the weekend after ash was detected in their airspace, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving more than 270,000 passengers stranded, the transport ministry reported Monday. “These figures are the cumulative operational impact since 5 September 2026 and cover flights that have been canceled, delayed, or diverted,” the ministry said in a statement.
Italian tourist Michel Miegge was on holiday with his girlfriend and due to fly home in time for work on Tuesday, but their flight was cancelled. “We don’t have any news from the airline. We don’t know if we stay another day in Jakarta or find another flight,” the 32-year-old software engineer told AFP. “I don’t think it’s possible now. We found a nearby hotel, but we saw that many hotels were fully booked. Fortunately, we booked a hotel last night, but it’s a difficult situation.”
Another tourist, French painter Carol Odile, said she came with a group of friends, excited to see Komodo dragons in Flores, when she was notified that her flight was cancelled. “We discovered our flight was delayed yesterday morning when we arrived at the airport because we didn’t know about the volcanic eruption. We are disappointed, but our group is optimistic, so we hope we can go to Flores Island very soon,” the 60-year-old told AFP.
At least four airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, extended their closure from Monday morning to 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), airport operator Angkasa Pura said in a social media post. Halim Perdanakusuma, a smaller airport that caters to both civil and military flights, will also remain closed. Another small airport in south Sumatra resumed operations as of Monday morning at 9:00 am, the transport ministry said.
— Threat remains high —
More than 240 domestic and international flights had been cancelled or delayed due to volcanic ash on Monday morning alone, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport said, adding that nearly 30,000 passengers were affected. “We understand that this situation affects passengers’ travel plans. Therefore, from the start of the temporary closure, we have focused on ensuring that passengers’ needs continue to be met,” airport spokesman Yudhistiawan, who like many Indonesians only has one name, said in a statement.
The probability of an eruption remains high until Monday morning, the country’s geology agency warned. “The threat from an eruption comes from the ejection of incandescent rocks accompanied by heavy ashfall. Another potential hazard arises from lava flows if the eruption resumes and continues,” agency head Lana Saria said.
Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatau, sits in a strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra. The volcano has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea at the beginning of last century in the caldera that formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau. A 2018 tsunami triggered by a collapse of parts of Anak Krakatau killed 429 people and left thousands displaced.
© 2024 AFP
