International

Volcanic Ash Grounds Flights at Jakarta Airport

06 September 2026 20:09 PM

NEWS DESK

Flights at Indonesia’s main airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta, have been temporarily suspended after volcanic ash from the erupting Anak Krakatau spread across the capital’s skies.

Airport authorities said on Sunday that all flights were suspended until 1:30 p.m. local time as volcanic activity increased at the volcano, located about 150 kilometres from Jakarta.

Indonesia’s meteorological agency, BMKG, said lava and powerful explosions began late Friday. The sounds were reportedly heard as far as 700 kilometres away. The country’s volcanology agency also recorded two new eruptions on Sunday.

Ash clouds reached around 6,000 metres over parts of Java and up to 15,000 metres over parts of Sumatra and Banten province. Indonesian authorities said an earlier airport closure affected 33 flights, including 16 international cancellations and seven delays.

Civil aviation chief Lukman F. Laisa said the suspension was extended after volcanic ash was detected at the airport during a midnight inspection, stressing that passenger and operational safety remained the top priority.

Singapore Airlines was among the carriers affected, cancelling two flights to and from Jakarta and delaying two others.

Indonesia’s disaster management agency said there was no immediate tsunami threat from the latest eruption.

Anak Krakatau emerged from the sea in the 1920s following the catastrophic 1883 Krakatoa eruption. In 2018, part of the volcano collapsed during an eruption, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 400 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra.

Volcanic ash poses a serious threat to aircraft because it can damage or shut down jet engines and severely reduce visibility.

Indonesia airport Suspended volcano