Mount Anak Krakatau Eruption Grounds Flights and Closes Soekarno-Hatta Airport

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - A major, continuous eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait took center stage in national emergency responses on Sunday, September 6, 2026, after generating a massive 14-kilometer volcanic column and forcing the temporary shutdown of Indonesia’s primary international gateway.

The eruption sequence commenced late Friday night at 11.07 p.m. local time, characterized by continuous lava fountain phenomena and loud rumblings visible across Banten and West Java. The eruption cloud reached the earth's tropopause, stretching across an 851-kilometer pyrocumulus plume carrying sulfur oxide as far as Enggano Island in Bengkulu.

The resulting volcanic ash fall forced the Ministry of Transportation to extend an emergency operational closure at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang until 09.30 a.m. local time following positive runway paper tests. The airport shutdown disrupted 33 domestic and international flights to major destinations including Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Amsterdam.

Aviation authorities and airport operators outlined the technical interdiction measures and ground protocols triggered by the volcanic ash fall across Banten. Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa explained the safety protocol that prompted the airport closure.

"The operational extension was implemented after paper tests confirmed the presence of volcanic ash across the runway surface at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport," Lukman reported in Tangerang on Sunday, September 6, 2026.

He highlighted the widespread operational impact on national air transit networks. "We are monitoring the potential chain reaction on aircraft rotation nationwide while maximizing terminal capacity management to maintain passenger comfort," he added.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Assistant Deputy Legal Yudistiawan confirmed the emergency timeframe and urged travelers to consult official flight channels. "Due to the heightened eruption activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations from 05.30 local time to 09.30," Yudistiawan noted.

He urged passengers to coordinate directly with airlines for updated flight itineraries. "We advise all service users to recheck their flight schedules via official airline channels and contact the InJourney Airports Contact Center at 172, we apologize for the operational inconvenience caused by these natural conditions," Yudistiawan said. (Naura Sofia-EN)