Anak Krakatau Eruption Grounds Flights Across Indonesia
Mount Anak Krakatau eruption forces closure of six Indonesian airports, canceling 301 flights. Authorities are deploying cloud seeding to clear ash.
JAKARTA — A powerful volcanic eruption from Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has triggered widespread travel chaos, forcing the closure of six airports and the cancellation of 301 flights, including 58 international services. The surge of volcanic ash, which reached altitudes of 6,000 meters toward Java and 15,000 meters toward Sumatra, prompted the indefinite suspension of operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport until at least 1:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.
Aviation and Regional Disruption
The eruption, which began late Friday, has left hundreds of passengers stranded across regional terminals. Singapore Airlines has confirmed the total suspension of all flights to and from the Indonesian capital for the remainder of the day. For travelers like 58-year-old Suhardi, who had already navigated one domestic leg, the disruption left his connection to Samarinda, East Kalimantan, indefinitely grounded. Similarly, international tourists, including 21-year-old French national Eloan Tasset, faced sudden cancellations and delays for holiday routes to Manado, North Sulawesi, with few alternatives for immediate travel.
Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has announced an emergency weather modification operation to mitigate the crisis. Head of the agency, Suharyanto, confirmed in a press conference that officials are initiating cloud seeding efforts to trigger heavy rainfall, which they hope will wash the persistent volcanic ash from the air and allow regional transport networks to resume normal service.
Public Safety and Environmental Hazards
While flight traffic remains stalled, officials are focusing on ground-level safety. BNPB spokesperson Berton Panjaitan advised residents to wear masks and protective eyewear, limit outdoor activity, and secure water sources. In areas surrounding the Sunda Strait, the ash has caused immediate physical effects, with local schools canceling Saturday activities due to widespread reports of eye irritation among students and residents. Fishermen in the region have also halted operations as a safety precaution.
The Ministry of Transportation reports that ferry services across the Sunda Strait are currently functioning, though vessels are strictly prohibited from approaching within a 3-kilometer radius of the Anak Krakatau crater due to the risk of flying debris and volcanic projectiles.
Volcanic Activity Across the Archipelago
The eruption at Anak Krakatau coincides with renewed activity at Mount Semeru in East Java, located approximately 850 kilometers away. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has reported ash columns reaching 1 kilometer above the summit. Authorities have established a 5-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater, warning of potential pyroclastic flows and lava reaching as far as 17 kilometers from the peak.
These events underscore the volatile nature of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region notorious for high seismic and volcanic frequency. Anak Krakatau has remained at Alert Level 3—the second-highest classification—since July 2. Other peaks, including Mount Merapi, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, and Mount Sinabung, currently share this heightened status.
Despite the intensity of the current activity, the National Disaster Management Agency has moved to soothe public anxiety regarding a potential tsunami, confirming no such risk is imminent. The site holds a painful history; in 2018, a flank collapse during an eruption of Anak Krakatau triggered a tsunami that claimed more than 400 lives across Java and Sumatra. The volcano itself emerged a century ago from the remains of the historic Krakatau, whose 1883 cataclysmic eruption remains one of the deadliest volcanic events in modern history, resulting in over 36,000 deaths.
