Jakarta, September 6, 2026: An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau forced six airports to suspend flight operations on Sunday, disrupting hundreds of flights at Jakarta’s main airport and prompting the cancellation of some school activities and fishing trips.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations until 1:30 p.m. local time due to volcanic ash, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the facility.
Airport operator Angkasa Pura said the suspension affected 301 flights, including 58 international flights. Singapore Airlines also announced the cancellation of its flights to and from Jakarta for the remainder of the day.
Anak Krakatau, located roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since late Friday, with volcanic ash detected at Soekarno-Hatta Airport early Sunday, Indonesia’s Transport Ministry said.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG said volcanic ash had reached altitudes of up to 20,000 feet (6,000 metres) on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) on the Sumatra side, affecting parts of Banten province in Java.
Passengers at Soekarno-Hatta described uncertainty over their travel plans as flights were delayed or cancelled.
The airport operator said it was providing food and light refreshments to affected passengers, as well as buses to hotels in coordination with airlines.
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency BNPB said it would conduct a weather modification operation, potentially involving cloud seeding, to encourage rainfall and help clear volcanic ash.
“If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly,” BNPB chief Suharyanto told a press conference.
BNPB spokesperson Berton Panjaitan urged the public to remain calm while maintaining vigilance. He advised people to wear masks and eye protection in areas affected by ashfall, limit outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution while driving because volcanic ash can reduce visibility.
Ferry services in the Sunda Strait were operating normally, according to the Transport Ministry, which urged vessels to remain at least three kilometres from Anak Krakatau’s crater and stay alert to volcanic hazards, including ash and other ejected material.
Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents experienced eye irritation caused by volcanic ash, while fishermen also called off fishing trips, local media reported.
Meanwhile, about 850 kilometres from Anak Krakatau, Mount Semeru in East Java erupted on Sunday, sending an ash column about one kilometre above its summit, according to Indonesia’s volcano monitoring agency PVMBG.
The agency advised residents to remain at least five kilometres from Semeru’s crater and warned of the potential for hot ash clouds and lava flows extending up to 17 kilometres from the summit.
Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a region prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Anak Krakatau has been at alert level 3, the second-highest level, since July 2. Semeru is also at level 3, along with Mount Merapi, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Sinabung.
BNPB said there was no imminent risk of a tsunami from the latest volcanic activity.
Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau”, emerged about a century ago in the area once occupied by Krakatau, also known as Krakatoa. The older volcano was destroyed during massive eruptions in 1883, which killed more than 36,000 people, largely in tsunamis.
