Indonesia closes five airports as Anak Krakatau ash cloud halts over 200 flights

Airport closures and widespread travel disruption

Volcanic ash released by Anak Krakatau disrupted air transport across western Indonesia on Sunday, 6 September 2026. Indonesian authorities responded by suspending operations at five airports across the region, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport serving Jakarta. Airport managers initially halted flights for several hours before instituting a broader suspension as ash conditions failed to improve. More than 200 flights were removed from airport schedules, including dozens of international departures and arrivals. The sudden cancellations left thousands of travellers stranded inside terminals, where airport staff and transport officials distributed meals, beverages, and bus transport to area hotels. Multiple airlines announced temporary holds on scheduled flights into Jakarta until volcanic ash clears from the airspace.

Eruption timeline and ash plume altitude

The volcanic episode commenced on Friday evening, when Anak Krakatau began discharging lava alongside audible explosions across the Sunda Strait. The eruption intensified with another burst on Sunday morning that lasted several dozen seconds and produced a substantial ash plume. According to data released by the meteorology agency BMKG, volcanic particulate reached an altitude of 6 kilometres in the direction of Java. Toward Sumatra, the plume reached a peak altitude of 15 kilometres. The geological agency recorded persistent seismic tremors linked directly to subsurface magma movements, warning that the volcano remains unstable and capable of generating further eruptions.

Regional impact across Java and Sumatra

The dispersion of volcanic debris disrupted daily activities well beyond the immediate vicinity of the volcano island. In Banten province on Java and Lampung province on Sumatra, local residents reported throat and eye irritation alongside breathing difficulties caused by settling dust. Health officials advised citizens in affected districts to remain indoors and wear protective face masks and glasses. Several municipal authorities ordered local schools to suspend classes until the air cleared. Fishing crews in surrounding coastal areas chose to stay ashore, while passenger ferry transit across the Sunda Strait continued normal routes outside a designated 3-kilometre safety perimeter.

Disaster response and cloud seeding plan

In response to the atmospheric contamination, Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) scheduled cloud seeding missions to induce precipitation over affected territories. Officials intend to generate artificial rain to wash airborne volcanic particulate out of the lower atmosphere and restore normal flight conditions.

If rainfall is heavy enough, the volcanic ash disrupting our daily lives will be quickly washed away.

BNPB head Suharyanto urged residents to limit outdoor exposure while teams prepare the seeding operation. Indonesian emergency officials also clarified that the current activity presents no direct risk of a tsunami, referencing the 2018 eruption that generated a tsunami responsible for more than 400 fatalities. Anak Krakatau, which formed inside the caldera of the 1883 Krakatau eruption, has remained on an elevated alert status since July.