Anak Krakatau: 150,000 penumpang kandas, 8 lapangan terbang ditutup

Anak Krakatau, an active volcano in Indonesia, has triggered the closure of eight airports across the country, affecting roughly 150,000 passengers and 467 flights. Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi announced that initial data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) showed the ash moving eastward at a speed of five knots at an altitude of 15,000 feet, after wind had previously pushed the ash westward towards the Indian Ocean.

After coordinating with authorities, the decision was made to close all eight airports until midnight. Currently, six airports are affected, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java, Budiarto Airport and Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten.

The closure was later expanded to include Taufik Kiemas Airport and Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra, bringing the total to eight airports. Every 30 minutes, tests are conducted at eastern airports throughout Java to monitor whether the ash spread is increasing or decreasing. In addition to closing airports, authorities have opened Kertajati, Semarang, Juanda, Yogyakarta, and Solo airports for 24-hour operations as alternatives.

Domestic flights account for 409 of the 467 disrupted flights, while 58 are international. Airlines are making arrangements for affected passengers, including hotel accommodations in certain cases.