Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau eruption disrupts hundreds of flights at Jakarta airport
Quick Look
- The eruption of Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau produced volcanic ash that disrupted hundreds of flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport over the weekend, with cancellations extending into Monday.
- The continuous eruption lasted about 25 hours from Friday night to Sunday morning, affecting at least 373 flights, including 167 cancellations at the airport alone.
- Ash reached altitudes up to 50,000 feet and spread east and west, impacting regional aviation.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Mount Anak Krakatau is an active volcanic island in Indonesia that emerged from the caldera formed by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. It has been intermittently active in recent years, with periodic eruptions posing risks to aviation and local communities.
Ash from the eruption of Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau wreaked havoc for aviation around the region over the weekend.
The volcanic eruption disrupted hundreds of flights at Jakarta's main international airport, the second-busiest in Southeast Asia, with cancellations extending into Monday.
The volcano began a period of continuous eruption at 11:07 p.m. local time on Friday, according to a CNBC translation of a press release from Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The continuous eruption lasted about 25 hours before ending at 12:04 a.m. on Sunday.
Volcanic ash forced authorities to temporarily suspend operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta's main airport, with the closure extended several times on Sunday, according to a translation from Indonesia's Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
At least 373 flights were affected as of 10:35 a.m. Sunday. At Soekarno-Hatta alone, 202 flights were affected, including 167 cancellations.
Soekarno-Hatta is Southeast Asia's second-busiest airport by scheduled airline seat capacity this month, with 3.24 million seats, according to aviation data provider OAG.
Flight disruptions extended into Monday, with Singapore Airlines canceling flights between Singapore and Jakarta due to the volcanic activity, including nine on that route scheduled for Monday. Its budget carrier Scoot also canceled flights between Singapore and Jakarta scheduled for Monday, according to a separate travel advisory.
Indonesia's meteorological agency said volcanic ash was detected at altitudes of up to 20,000 feet moving east and up to 50,000 feet moving west, according to a CNBC translation. Volcanic ash was detected over Jakarta and several surrounding regions, extending as far as the Indian Ocean.
Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said the continuous eruption had ended but volcanic activity remained elevated. The ministry said the potential for further eruptions in the coming period remained high, with possible hazards including incandescent rock, heavy ashfall and potential lava flows if continuous eruptions resume.
Anak Krakatau remains at Level III, or "Alert," and authorities have maintained a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the volcano.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Further flight disruptions may occur if volcanic activity resumes or ash plumes affect flight paths.
Possible · Within days
Open Questions
- How long will the elevated volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau persist?
- What is the long-term impact on regional air travel routes due to recurring ash plumes?
- Are there plans to improve volcanic ash monitoring and early warning systems for aviation in the region?
