Indonesia cancels flights as volcano eruption disrupts air travel

Indonesia cancelled hundreds of flights and temporarily closed airspace around Jakarta and several other airports on Sunday after Anak Krakatau volcano erupted, sending massive ash clouds across parts of western Indonesia.

The volcano, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, had shown increased activity since Friday before erupting for about 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday. Camera footage showed lava flaring from the crater.

No casualties were reported, and authorities did not order evacuations. However, residents and visitors were advised to stay at least 3 kilometers from the active crater. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers away.

Volcanic ash spread over parts of Jakarta and Lampung province, prompting AirNav Indonesia to close airspace around Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, along with four other airports.

By mid-afternoon, the disruption had affected 516 flight movements, including 202 at Soekarno-Hatta airport, impacting around 22,800 passengers. The airport was ordered to remain closed until at least 5:30 p.m.

Flights at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and in Medan were also affected.

Satellite images detected two major ash clouds, with one rising to about 6,100 meters and another reaching around 15,200 meters. The ash spread across several provinces and nearby waters.

Indonesia's Geological Agency said volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with Sunday's eruption the strongest during the current period of unrest. Officials said they could not predict whether a larger eruption might occur.

Anak Krakatau, meaning “Child of Krakatau,” emerged from the site of the historic Krakatau volcano, whose devastating 1883 eruption had global consequences. In 2018, an eruption and subsequent underwater landslide triggered a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in Java and Sumatra.