Anak Krakatau Volcano Erupts in Indonesia, Leading to Flight Cancellations

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A volcano erupted in Indonesia early Sunday, prompting the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and disrupting operations at other domestic airports as ash drifted across western parts of the country. The volcanic island of Anak Krakatau, located in Indonesia's Sunda Strait between the main Java and Sumatra islands, had shown signs of activity since Friday before erupting for 30 seconds at 3:53 a.m. Sunday and for 16 seconds about three hours later, according to Indonesia's Geological Agency. Closed-circuit camera footage showed lava flares from the volcano. No casualties were reported and no evacuation order was issued. The nearest settlement is more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) away, but authorities warned residents and visitors to stay at least 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the active crater. Volcanic ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on Sumatra's southern tip, as reported by Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, as well as six other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, due to volcanic ash. By Sunday evening, the closure of eight airports had affected 170,000 passengers from 1,558 canceled flights, including 963 flights at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport alone. All eight airports were ordered closed until midnight. "It's of course an inconvenience," said Diego Urdiales, a Spanish tourist who was supposed to fly home to Madrid. "I was supposed to get input from the airline ... but so far no news." "It's a natural disaster, it's a force majeure, so, what can we do?" said Michele Gouw, an Indonesian passenger. Indonesia's Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated that it was closely monitoring the eruption's impact on air travel and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services, and the meteorology agency. "Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision," said Lukman F. Laisa, Ministry of Transportation director general of civil aviation, in a statement. He warned that flight schedules could face cascading disruptions affecting aircraft rotations, fleet availability, and terminal capacity as airlines work to restore operations. The eruption also disrupted services at Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and at Medan. Indonesia's volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery. One plume rose to 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and nearby waters. A second cloud reached 50,000 feet (15,200 meters) and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung, and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra. Lana Saria, head of Indonesia's Geological Agency, noted that activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with Sunday's eruption being the strongest during that period. Mount Anak Krakatau volcano spewed hot lava as seen from Pasauran village in Serang, Banten province, Indonesia, on Sept. 5, 2026. The repeated eruptions indicate a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano, though officials cannot predict whether a larger eruption will occur. "We continue to evaluate the volcano's development based on all monitoring data, not solely on the number of eruptions or the height of the ash column," Saria said in a video briefing. She mentioned that the main hazards include volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas, and the ejection of hot rocks and other material around the crater area. The eruption's impact extended beyond air travel, as the government authorized schools in areas affected by volcanic ash to temporarily move to online learning at home. This measure is intended to reduce students' exposure to ashfall and allow local authorities to adjust classroom activities based on conditions on the ground. Anak Krakatau, which means "child of Krakatau," is the offspring of the famous Krakatau, whose monumental 1883 eruption triggered a period of global cooling. An eruption of Anak Krakatau in 2018 caused a tsunami that killed at least 430 people in Sumatra and Java. Researchers believe volcanic activity triggered an underwater landslide and caused a large chunk of Anak Krakatau's southwest slope to collapse and displace a large volume of water. Scientists stated that Anak Krakatau island was only about a quarter of its original size after that eruption.