The Anak Krakatau volcano erupted twice early Sunday in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, triggering flight cancellations and airport closures across western Indonesia. The first eruption lasted 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. local time, followed by a second 16-second eruption about three hours later, according to Indonesia’s Geological Agency.
Eight Airports Closed, 1,558 Flights Canceled
All flights were canceled at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, where 963 flights were grounded. Airspace closures coordinated by AirNav Indonesia affected Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, and six other airports. In total, eight airports were closed until midnight Sunday, disrupting 1,558 flights and impacting approximately 170,000
passengers.
Volcanic Ash Clouds Spread Across Western Indonesia
Two volcanic ash clouds rising to 20,000 and 50,000 feet were identified by Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center. The ash spread over parts of Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Lampung, Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra. The ash presence forced the closure of airports in affected regions, including disruption at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and Medan.
Authorities Issue Safety Warnings and Monitor Volcanic Activity
Indonesia’s Geological Agency warned residents to maintain at least a two-mile distance from the active crater on Anak Krakatau, which lies more than 10 miles from the nearest settlement.
Lana Saria, head of the agency, noted Sunday’s eruption was the strongest since July amid ongoing volcanic activity. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, led by Lukman F. Laisa from the Ministry of Transportation, emphasized safety as the top priority and coordinated with airlines, airports, air navigation, and meteorology services to monitor the situation.
Traveler Disruptions and Responses to Volcanic Ash
Passenger Diego Urdiales, a Spanish tourist stranded by cancellations at Soekarno-Hatta, reported he had no airline updates amid the closures. Indonesian passenger Michele Gouw described the situation as a natural disaster requiring acceptance while awaiting airline and airport instructions. The closures affected thousands of travelers, and
local authorities authorized schools in ash-affected areas to temporarily switch to online learning to reduce exposure to ashfall.
Background on Anak Krakatau Volcanic Activity
Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau,” is an active volcanic island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. It showed increased activity since July before Sunday’s eruptions. The island is the successor to the original Krakatau volcano, notorious for its massive 1883 eruption. A 2018 eruption of Anak Krakatau triggered a deadly tsunami after an underwater landslide.
Traveler Quotes on Flight Disruptions
Diego Urdiales said, “I was supposed to get input from the airline … but so far no news.” Indonesian passenger Michele Gouw remarked, “It’s
a natural disaster, it’s a force majeure, so, what can we do? We just have to accept it and wait for the airline and airport directions.”
