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The Ministry of Transportation extended the full closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport until 1:30 p.m. local time after paper tests confirmed the presence of volcanic ash in the area following an initial suspension from 5:30 a.m. Indonesia’s Geological Agency reported the volcano erupted for around 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. with visible lava flares captured on monitoring cameras while seismic activity had intensified since Friday night. Ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation stated leaving 170 aircraft parked on the aprons.
The disruptions hit routes to Singapore hardest among international services with additional cancellations and delays on connections to Doha Sydney Kuala Lumpur Hong Kong Seoul and Amsterdam a Directorate General of Civil Aviation assessment found. Domestic flights to Makassar in South Sulawesi as well as to Bali and Surabaya also faced widespread cancellations or diversions. “Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision” Lukman F. Laisa the Ministry of Transportation director general of civil aviation said in a statement.
Several schools canceled activities and fishermen in affected coastal areas halted operations due to falling ash with some residents reporting eye irritation according to reports compiled by CNN. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency confirmed there was no tsunami risk linked to the eruptions. Health officials urged residents near the volcano to wear masks and stay indoors to guard against respiratory eye and skin irritation.
Anak Krakatau known as Child of Krakatoa formed within the caldera created by the massive 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa which killed more than 36,000 people through tsunamis and other effects historical geological surveys show. The volcano has displayed sporadic activity since rising above sea level in the early 20th century. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and hosts more than 120 active volcanoes according to the Geological Agency.
Similar volcanic ash events have repeatedly disrupted aviation in the archipelago including multiple 2025 eruptions of Mount Lewotobi that forced dozens of cancellations at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport on routes to Australia and Singapore multiple ANTARA News dispatches reported. Airport operators worked with carriers to provide refunds rescheduling or rerouting options for the thousands of stranded passengers at Soekarno-Hatta. Monitoring continued with further updates anticipated as activity at the volcano evolved.
The meteorological agency BMKG recorded the ash column reaching heights of up to 15,000 meters on the Sumatra side of the volcano creating substantial hazards for aircraft engines. No injuries or significant structural damage have been reported from the latest eruptions so far. Officials advised communities within several kilometers of the crater to avoid the exclusion zone and prepare for possible further ashfall.
