Volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau disrupts flights at Soekarno-Hatta International airport, near Jakarta.
Published On 6 Sep 2026
Flights have been suspended at Indonesia’s main airport outside Jakarta after volcanic ash from the erupting Mount Anak Krakatau was detected over the country’s capital.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport announced on Sunday morning that flight operations were halted until 1:30 p.m. local time (06:30 GMT) due to “increased eruptive activity” of the volcano, located more than 150 km (93 mi) away.
Anak Krakatau began erupting late on Friday, sending lava fountains and booming noises audible up to 700 km (435 mi) away, according to the meteorological agency BMKG.
The agency recorded two additional eruptions on Sunday.
BMKG reported ash reaching altitudes of 6,000 m (20,000 ft) on the Java side and plumes up to 15,000 m (50,000 ft) on the Sumatra side and parts of Banten province in Java.
An earlier suspension, scheduled to end at 5:30 a.m. (22:30 GMT Saturday), had already affected 33 flights, including 16 international cancellations and seven delays, the Ministry of Transportation said.
Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa noted that the extension followed a “paper test” conducted between 12:35 a.m. and 1:05 a.m. (17:35–18:05 GMT Saturday) that confirmed volcanic ash at the airport.
“Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision, including flight‑schedule adjustments made by airlines,” Lukman said, adding that authorities will continue monitoring the situation with airlines, air‑navigation services and Indonesia’s meteorological agency.
Singapore Airlines was among the carriers affected, cancelling two flights to and from Jakarta on Saturday and delaying two more into Sunday.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said on Saturday that there was no imminent tsunami risk from the eruption.
Anak Krakatau emerged from the sea in the 1920s in the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, one of the deadliest volcanic events in recorded history.
The volcano has erupted periodically since then, including a 2018 eruption that triggered a partial crater collapse and a tsunami that killed more than 400 people along the coasts of Java and Sumatra.
Volcanic ash poses a serious hazard to aircraft, capable of damaging jet engines and reducing visibility.
