Jakarta Airport temporarily closed due to volcanic ash, 209 flights affected

China News Service, Jakarta, September 6 (Reporter Li Zhiquan) Affected by the eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in Indonesia, the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the capital Jakarta was temporarily closed in the early morning of the 6th. As of press time, the airport has still suspended flight operations, and at least 209 international and domestic flights have been affected.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transport announced that tests found signs of volcanic ash spreading in the airport area. To ensure aviation safety, the airport will suspend operations from 1:30 to 9:30 on the 6th. According to statistics, a total of 209 flight takeoffs and landings were affected, and about 22,800 passengers were affected.

A large number of passengers were stranded at the terminal of Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Words such as "cancelled" and "delayed" appeared intensively on the flight display screen. People gathered in the waiting hall, and some passengers queued up at the check-in counter.

On September 6, a large number of passengers were stranded at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport due to flight cancellations and delays. Photo by Ding Yongjie

Xiamen Airlines stated that Xiamen Airlines’ flights from Jakarta to Xiamen to Jakarta and from Jakarta to Wuhan to Jakarta were canceled that day. A China Southern Airlines passenger told reporters that his flight from Guangzhou to Jakarta, originally scheduled to fly from Guangzhou to Jakarta at 8:00 on the 6th, had been delayed to 15:30.

Passenger Randy said that he originally planned to fly to Malaysia at 11:00 local time, but the flight has been cancelled.

From late night on the 4th to early morning on the 5th, the Sons of Krakatau volcano located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra began to erupt. The volcanic ash once rose to an altitude of 15,000 meters, and a "lava fountain" phenomenon appeared. On the 6th, the volcano was still erupting.

The Indonesian Ministry of Transport previously stated that as of 22:00 on the 5th, a total of 33 flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport were affected. Among them, 16 international flights were cancelled, 7 were delayed, and 5 flight plans were adjusted, involving Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Seoul, Doha, Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur.

The latest news shows that the suspension of flight operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport has been extended to 13:30 on the 6th. (over)