Photo: Anak Krakatau / Shutterstock On Sunday evening (September 6), the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation announced that, due to the continued spread of volcanic ash, the temporary closure of eight airports has been extended until midnight West Indonesian time. The decision was made after a situation assessment carried out at 17:00 local time.
The list of affected fields includes, first and foremost, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, one of the main gateways to Asia, as well as Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Radin Inten II in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara in Bandung, Budiarto Curug, Pondok Cabe, Taufik Kiemas and Atung Bungsu.
The disruption expanded significantly throughout the day. According to the latest official update from the Ministry of Transportation, as of 17:06 Indonesian time, 13:06 Israeli time, 1,558 flights were delayed and approximately 170,000 passengers were affected or left waiting at the eight airports.
At Soekarno-Hatta Airport alone, 963 flights were recorded in the same update, 453 inbound and 510 outbound.
Indonesian Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi made it clear that as long as ash tests indicate a danger to aviation, authorities will not rush to open the fields. He said that passenger and flight safety is the main consideration in operational decisions.
The Ministry of Transport has also prepared alternative airports, including Kertajati, Juanda, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Solo. In the event that airlines decide to divert flights there, authorities have announced that they will provide passengers with free alternative ground transportation, via buses and trains.
The impact is already being felt well even among the leading airlines in the Gulf. Emirates issued an official update at 10:09 PM Dubai time, 9:09 PM, stating that all four of its flights between Dubai and Jakarta on September 7 were canceled: EK356 and EK358 from Dubai to Jakarta, and EK357 and EK359 from Jakarta to Dubai.
The four parallel flights on September 6 were also canceled.
The company also issued a particularly significant announcement for connecting passengers: Passengers whose destination is Jakarta and whose route passes through Dubai will not be accepted onto the flight at their point of origin until further notice. Emirates urges passengers to check their flight status and company announcements before leaving for the airport.
Qatar Airways also officially announced that due to volcanic activity and operational restrictions in Jakarta, flights may be delayed, changed, or canceled.
On September 6, flights QR956, QR957, QR958, and QR959 were affected, while on September 7, QR954 and QR955 were also affected. The company asks passengers to check the latest status before leaving for the airport.
Etihad announced that flight EY472 from Abu Dhabi to Jakarta on September 6 has been delayed due to the airport closure due to the eruption of Krakatoa. As a result, the return flight EY473 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on September 7 is also expected to be delayed.
The Indonesian Meteorological Agency, BMKG, announced that it is conducting continuous 24-hour monitoring of the Anak Krakatoa eruption and its effects on the atmosphere and aviation.
Satellite analysis identified two significant foci of volcanic ash that spread over areas including Banten, Jakarta, West Java and Bengaluru. Since the event began, BMKG has issued 18 SIGMET messages designed to warn aviation of hazardous condition.