Mount Anak Krakatau eruption disrupts flights at Jakarta airport

Jakarta, Indonesia. An eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau prompted six airports to suspend flight operations on Sunday, disrupting hundreds of flights at Jakarta’s main airport and halting some school activities and fishing.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended operations until 1:30 p.m. local time due to volcanic ash, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

Flight disruption

The suspension affected 301 flights, including 58 international services, according to airport operator Angkasa Pura.

Singapore Airlines cancelled flights to and from Jakarta for the remainder of the day.

Volcanic ash

Anak Krakatau, located roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra, has been erupting since late Friday. Volcanic ash was detected at the airport early on Sunday, the transport ministry said.

Ash reached up to 20,000 feet, or 6,000 metres, on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet, or 15,000 metres, on the Sumatra side, as well as in parts of Banten province in Java, meteorological agency BMKG said.

Passengers affected

Suhardi, 58, travelled to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport after a domestic flight was cancelled, hoping to take a morning connecting flight to Samarinda on the Indonesian part of Borneo for a business trip.

“I thought Jakarta-to-Samarinda still available – apparently it is also cancelled,” Suhardi, who uses one name, told Reuters.

French national Eloan Tasset, 21, said Batik Air had informed him by text that his flight to Manado in North Sulawesi had been delayed, although the duration of the delay was unclear.