Indonesia Prepares 10 Airports for 24‑Hour Ops After Anak Krakatau Eruption

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesian Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has prepared 10 airports to operate around the clock to help restore disrupted flight schedules following the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

“We are preparing 10 airports to run 24 hours a day to accommodate diverted flights and accelerate the recovery of flight schedules,” Dudy said in Jakarta on Monday, September 7, 2026.

Five of the designated airports--Kertajati Majalengka, Juanda Surabaya, Ahmad Yani Semarang, Adi Sumarmo Surakarta, and Yogyakarta International Airport--will serve as alternatives to anticipate operational disruptions at seven airports affected by volcanic ash.

As of Monday, September 7, 2026, at 12:10 p.m. local time, Anak Krakatau’s ash cloud was observed at an altitude of about 15,000 feet, drifting southwest at 10 knots. The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) forecasted ash dispersal to continue until around 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, September 8.

Minister Dudy emphasized that the government must monitor ash movement before reopening affected airports, as wind shifts could redirect ash back into airport zones.

To speed recovery, Juanda Airport will expand flight capacity, including Singapore Airlines’ switch from Boeing 737-800 to Airbus A350 aircraft to carry more passengers.

“This ensures we can transport large numbers of passengers stranded in Singapore, as well as those departing from Surabaya or Jakarta to Singapore or other destinations,” he explained.

The government has also added four domestic flights from Denpasar, Batam, Makassar, and Pekanbaru. Additional services via Ahmad Yani Airport in Semarang will connect Makassar, Denpasar, Labuan Bajo, and Lombok.

Saudi Airlines will operate flights through Yogyakarta International Airport, while Kertajati Airport has already handled Garuda Indonesia’s international routes to Jeddah, Madinah, and Amsterdam. Lion Air is also scheduled to fly from Kertajati to Jeddah.

Minister Dudy assured that passengers whose flights were canceled will receive full refunds.

Immigration authorities are granting leniency for foreign nationals whose visas expired due to flight cancellations. “We are working with immigration to relax permit rules for foreign passengers who overstayed because of canceled flights,” he said.

To support passenger transfers to alternative airports, InJourney Airports and partners are providing free onward transport--buses in cooperation with state-owned bus operator PT Damri and trains with state-owned railway operator PT KAI--serving routes to and from Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, and Surabaya. (Gusti Panji)