TANGERANG, INDONESIA / RankWire.AI / – Indonesia reopened Jakarta’s primary airport along with several regional airports on Tuesday following ash from Anak Krakatau that disrupted air travel. The volcanic activity impacted nearly 3,000 flights and over 340,000 passengers nationwide. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport resumed operations once authorities confirmed that ash levels had decreased. Monitoring teams recorded three smaller eruptions on Tuesday morning, and the volcano remained at Level III, the second-highest alert status in Indonesia.
The Ministry of Transportation announced that Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, and Husein Sastranegara airports 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 were still under assessment. Authorities mandated safety checks for aircraft exposed to the prolonged disruption before they could return to service.
The closures followed Anak Krakatau’s eruption which sent ash into the airspace over Jakarta and its surrounding regions. During this period, eight airports suspended operations, including Indonesia’s busiest international hub. Airlines adjusted both domestic and international schedules as ash spread across key flight routes. Volcanic ash presents serious risks to aircraft engines and visibility, prompting aviation authorities to restrict flights from areas with detected ash levels. These closures led to widespread delays, cancellations, and diversions across Indonesia’s air network.
Airports Restart Operations Following Disruptive Event
Anak Krakatau entered a continuous eruptive phase late Friday in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. The activity, which began at 11:07 p.m., persisted until shortly after midnight on Sunday, lasting approximately 25 hours. Monitoring later recorded additional Strombolian eruptions after the main phase concluded. Ash plumes earlier reached nearly 50,000 feet in some regions, dispersing across parts of western Indonesia and leading authorities to restrict airspace access accordingly.
The Geological Agency maintained Anak Krakatau at Level III and kept a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano’s active center. Officials advised residents affected by ash to limit outdoor activity and wear masks. They also urged coastal communities in Banten and Lampung to rely solely on official information and warned against circulating unverified tsunami reports. Continuous monitoring detected ongoing seismic activity and additional eruptions after the eruptive episode’s conclusion, with instruments registering persistent volcanic activity around the island.
Passenger Numbers Surge Past 340,000 Amid Airport Restorations
Airport operators worked to mitigate the impact of the shutdown as flights gradually resumed on Tuesday. At Soekarno-Hatta, inspectors checked 178 aircraft that had remained grounded during the closure. Flight crews received updated briefings regarding restricted airspace and areas where ash remained a hazard. Authorities continued assessing conditions around affected airports before fully restoring normal operations. This disruption represented one of the most significant operational impacts caused by Anak Krakatau’s activity during the current eruptive phase.
Located in the Sunda Strait, Anak Krakatau is part of the volcanic system formed by the historic Krakatau eruptions. The volcano has shown increased activity throughout 2026, with eruptions recorded since July. A significant collapse during a December 2018 eruption caused a deadly tsunami along nearby coastlines. Indonesia is home to over 100 active volcanoes, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a major tectonic boundary where eruptions and earthquakes are frequent occurrences.