Flights to and from Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, have resumed following a volcanic eruption that led to a two-day closure, impacting nearly 3,000 flights. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, and two smaller airports in Banten province reopened after midnight, as announced by Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi.
Despite improving conditions at some facilities, three airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, remained closed until 10 a.m. local time due to dynamic wind directions. Purwagandhi emphasized the need to ensure that volcanic ash has dispersed from airports near Anak Krakatau.
Even though tests indicated no presence of volcanic ash at several airports, the extended closures were necessary for thorough inspection and cleaning of surfaces, runways, taxiways, and aircraft potentially affected by volcanic ash exposure, according to Purwagandhi.
The volcanic activity of Anak Krakatau, characterized by lava fountains and loud explosions, ceased on Sunday, but the volcanic island remained active on Tuesday. The airport closures on Sunday and Monday disrupted almost 3,000 flights, including 622 international services, impacting around 341,000 passengers.