An eruption at Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano on Sunday led to the suspension of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disruptions at other local airports due to the spread of volcanic ash in western Indonesia.
Situated in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra islands, the volcanic island had been showing signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. local time on Sunday and again for 16 seconds about three hours later, as reported by Indonesia’s Geological Agency. Video footage from closed-circuit cameras captured lava flares emanating from the volcano.
Despite no reported casualties or evacuation orders, authorities cautioned residents and visitors to maintain a distance of at least three kilometers from the active crater, given that the nearest settlement is over 16 kilometers away. The volcanic ash extended over parts of Jakarta and Lampung province in southern Sumatra, according to the Indonesia Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
AirNav Indonesia implemented airspace closures around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, along with six other airports, including Radin Inten II airport in Lampung, due to the presence of volcanic ash.
The closure of eight airports impacted approximately 170,000 passengers from 1,558 canceled flights by Sunday evening, with Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport accounting for 963 of the affected flights. All eight airports were scheduled to remain closed until 8:59 a.m. on Monday.
Diego Urdiales, a Spanish tourist, expressed inconvenience over the flight disruptions, while Michele Gouw, an Indonesian passenger, acknowledged the situation as a natural disaster and emphasized the need to follow airline and airport instructions.
Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation assured ongoing monitoring of the eruption’s effects on air travel and collaboration with various aviation entities to ensure safety remains a top priority, according to Lukman F. Laisa, Director General of Civil Aviation at the Ministry of Transportation.
The volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau had heightened since July, with the recent eruption marked as the most robust during that period, as per Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency. While continuous eruptions suggest a sustained influx of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano, the likelihood of a larger eruption remains uncertain.
The main hazards associated with the volcano include volcanic ash, elevated gas concentrations, and the ejection of hot rocks and other materials around the crater area. Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau,” is the offspring of the renowned Krakatau, whose massive 1883 eruption had global repercussions.
In 2018, an eruption at Anak Krakatau triggered a tsunami that claimed the lives of at least 430 individuals in Sumatra and Java, following an underwater landslide caused by volcanic activity. Post-eruption assessments revealed a significant reduction in Anak Krakatau’s size compared to its original state.
