Transportation Ministry Reopens Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Ministry of Transportation has reopened Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, after it was temporarily closed due to volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau. Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said the airport was reopened after a paper-based surface test showed negative results for volcanic ash.

“One airport can now be reopened. Based on the test results, the paper test showed negative results at the airport in Pagar Alam,” Dudy said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday, September 7, 2026.

Dudy said the ministry was still evaluating Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung to determine whether conditions were safe for the airport to resume operations.

“If the results are negative, we will inform members of the press and the public,” he said.

Meanwhile, seven other airports remain temporarily closed as the volcanic ash conditions have not yet been declared safe for flights. Based on a report from the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, the distribution of volcanic ash is expected to remain relatively unchanged until around 3 p.m. local time.

“So, we can say that the ash conditions have not changed significantly,” Dudy said.

Several airlines have also begun diverting flights to alternative airports. Garuda Indonesia, for example, has operated flights through Kertajati Airport in Majalengka, West Java, since Sunday (September 6, 2026).

“Garuda has already begun routing flights through Kertajati Airport,” he said.

The Indonesian flag carrier also plans to operate flights from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, through Kertajati Airport.

In a related development, Singapore Airlines is also preparing to divert flights through alternative airports. The airline will replace its Boeing 737-800 aircraft with Airbus A350 aircraft, which have a larger passenger capacity.

The aircraft replacement will increase passenger capacity from around 150 to 307 passengers. The move is expected to help passengers who remain stranded in Singapore return to Indonesia via Surabaya.