Jakarta airport suspends flights due to Mount Anak Krakatau ash; SIA flights affected

Indonesia's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport halted flight operations on Sunday (Sep 6) due to ash emissions from Mount Anak Krakatau, according to an Instagram post by the airport. This suspension extended the previous halt, which was set to end at 5.30 am, affecting 209 flights, including several international ones. The disruption has been reported by Indonesia's transportation ministry.

Among the affected international flights are those scheduled to or from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Doha, as per the airport's website. Singapore Airlines (SIA) was among the airlines impacted. The carrier canceled two flights to and from Jakarta on Saturday. One Jakarta-bound SIA flight originally planned for Saturday night was rescheduled to Sunday afternoon, while another flight scheduled to depart for Singapore on Sunday morning was delayed until 3.50 pm.

The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau began late on Friday, with volcanic ash detected at the airport early on Sunday. Berton Panjaitan, a spokesperson for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, BNPB, stated that the dispersal of volcanic ash has disrupted activities in Lampung province on Sumatra island and Banten province on Java.

BNPB has urged the public to remain calm and increase vigilance. In case of ashfall, individuals are advised to wear masks and eye protection, limit outdoor activities, cover water sources, and exercise caution while driving, as volcanic ash can impede visibility. Several schools canceled activities on Saturday, with students and residents experiencing eye irritation from the ash. Fishermen also canceled their fishing trips due to the eruption, according to local media outlet Kompas.

The disaster mitigation agency reported on Saturday that there was no immediate threat of a tsunami from the volcano.