An eruption at Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano on Sunday led to the suspension of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disruptions at other domestic airports due to volcanic ash spreading over parts of western Indonesia.
The volcanic island, situated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had been exhibiting signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. local time on Sunday, followed by a 16-second eruption about three hours later, as reported by Indonesia’s Geological Agency. Footage from closed-circuit cameras captured lava flares emanating from the volcano.
Although no casualties were reported, and no evacuation orders were issued as the nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers away, authorities cautioned residents and visitors to keep a distance of at least three kilometers from the active crater.
The volcanic ash extended across Jakarta and Lampung province in southern Sumatra, causing AirNav Indonesia to close airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, along with six other airports, including Radin Inten II airport in Lampung, due to the presence of volcanic ash.
The closure of eight airports impacted 170,000 passengers from 1,558 canceled flights by Sunday evening, with Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport accounting for 963 canceled flights. All eight airports were mandated to remain closed until 8:59 a.m. on Monday.
Affected passengers voiced their inconvenience, with a Spanish tourist, Diego Urdiales, expressing disappointment over the lack of updates from the airline about his flight back to Madrid. Indonesian passenger Michele Gouw acknowledged the situation as a natural disaster, urging acceptance while awaiting airline and airport directives.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation assured close monitoring of the eruption’s effects on air travel, collaborating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services, and the meteorology agency. Lukman F. Laisa, the Ministry of Transportation’s director general of civil aviation, emphasized safety as the top priority in operational decisions amid potential flight schedule disruptions and operational challenges.
As the Anak Krakatau volcano remained active, Indonesia’s volcanology agency and Australia’s Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds through satellite imagery, with one reaching 6,100 meters and drifting northeast over several regions, and the other rising to 15,200 meters and spreading over various provinces and water bodies.
The volcano’s heightened activity since July was highlighted, with Sunday’s eruption marked as the most vigorous during that period. Authorities noted the continuous magma and volcanic gas supply beneath the volcano, although the likelihood of a larger eruption remains uncertain.
Monitoring efforts are ongoing based on comprehensive data to assess potential risks posed by volcanic ash, gas concentrations, and ejected materials. Anak Krakatau, translated as “child of Krakatau,” emerged following the famous Krakatau eruption in 1883, which caused global climatic changes.
In 2018, an eruption at Anak Krakatau triggered a tsunami that claimed over 430 lives in Sumatra and Java, attributed to underwater landslides and the collapse of a significant portion of the volcano’s southwestern slope due to volcanic activity. Post-eruption, Anak Krakatau island was reported to be only a quarter of its original size.