Mount Anak Krakatau Ash Disrupts Flights Across Jakarta, Makassar and Lombok

Mount Anak Krakatau Ash Disrupts Flights

Tempatdonasi.com – On Sunday, September 6, 2026, a fresh eruption of the young volcanic island in the Sunda Strait sent ash plumes drifting over major Indonesian air corridors. The Mount Anak Krakatau ash disrupts flights across three key airports—Jakarta, Makassar, and Lombok—forcing temporary closures and mass cancellations that stranded hundreds of passengers in multi-hour waits.

Anak Krakatau first emerged from the sea in 1927, decades after the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption that destroyed its parent volcano. Because the island sits directly beneath some of the archipelago’s busiest flight paths, even modest ash dispersal can cascade through the national aviation network within hours, turning routine commutes into disrupted itineraries.

Jakarta Airports Suspend Operations

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia’s primary international gateway, detected volcanic ash in the airspace above its runway complex. Under NOTAM A3341/26, the airport’s shutdown was extended to 1:30 p.m. WIB on Sunday, compounding delays already building since earlier in the day. Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, Jakarta’s secondary commercial terminal, implemented its own temporary closure as ash indicators appeared in its approach corridors. Further south, Radin Inten II International Airport in Lampung suspended operations briefly, canceling several Lampung–Jakarta services outright while additional departures and arrivals suffered delays.

Lombok and Makassar Absorb the Heaviest Toll

At Zainuddin Abdul Madjid International Airport in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, eight flights on the Lombok–Jakarta axis were canceled—four scheduled departures and four scheduled arrivals. Aidhil Philip Julian, general manager of PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia at the Lombok facility, confirmed the cancellations in a statement issued on Sunday.

“There are eight flights affected by volcanic ash from Mount Krakatau that have been cancelled,” Aidhil said.

The canceled departures included TransNusa 8B 5162 (8:30 a.m. WITA), Super Air Jet IU 769 (6:15 a.m. WITA), Garuda Indonesia GA 431 (11:15 a.m. WITA), and Citilink Indonesia QG 641 (12:30 p.m. WITA). Canceled arrivals from Jakarta were TransNusa 8B 5161 (8:00 a.m. WITA), Super Air Jet IU 762 (10:00 a.m. WITA), Garuda Indonesia GA 432 (10:30 a.m. WITA), and Citilink Indonesia QG 640 (12:00 noon WITA). Despite the cancellations, Aidhil stressed that overall operations at the Lombok airport remained within normal parameters and urged travelers to monitor airline advisories continuously.

Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport in Makassar, South Sulawesi, bore the largest single-airport impact of the day. Twenty-one flights were affected: twelve canceled and nine delayed. Passengers reported long waits at departure gates while ground crews and airline operations teams assessed ash concentrations along outbound routes. Nurlia, a passenger bound for Jakarta, described spending three hours in the terminal waiting for any confirmation that her flight would depart.

BMKG Tracks Two Distinct Ash Clusters

The Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics (BMKG) reported that satellite imagery acquired on Sunday identified two separate ash clusters spreading across Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and Bengkulu. The clusters moved in divergent directions at different altitudes, meaning the hazard was not a single uniform blanket but a layered, shifting threat requiring continuous reassessment by air-traffic controllers and airline dispatchers. This multi-directional dispersal pattern is characteristic of Anak Krakatau’s eruption style, where convective columns fragment at varying altitudes and are sheared by prevailing winds.

FAQ

Which airports were affected by the Anak Krakatau ash event on September 6, 2026? Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma, Radin Inten II (Lampung), Zainuddin Abdul Madjid (Lombok), and Sultan Hasanuddin (Makassar) all experienced closures, cancellations, or delays.

How many flights were canceled at Lombok? Eight flights on the Lombok–Jakarta axis were canceled—four departures and four arrivals—confirmed by PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia’s general manager in a Sunday statement.

What should travelers do if their flight is affected by volcanic ash? Monitor airline advisories continuously, check airport NOTAMs for updated closure times, and contact your carrier directly for rebooking or refund options while the ash situation persists.

Is Anak Krakatau expected to erupt again soon? BMKG tracks the island continuously; its eruption history since 1927 shows recurring activity, so travelers on routes over the Sunda Strait should check flight status before