Travel chaos hits Changi and Jakarta airports as volcanic ash grounds flights between the two hubs
Conflicting airline notices meant some travellers turned up at Changi Airport to find out that their flights were grounded, while passengers in Indonesia found themselves turned away after clearing immigration.
Changi and Jakarta airports faced significant travel disruptions as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau grounded flights between the two hubs on September 6, 2023. Seven-month pregnant Catrine Carina and her husband, Weng Ming Xing, were among the many passengers turned away after clearing immigration. The eruption, located 180km away from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport, led to the cancellation of 19 Singapore Airlines (SIA) services, affecting 301 flights in total.
Domestic flights accounted for 233 of the disruptions, while international flights and cargo flights numbered 58 and 10, respectively. The cancellation affected Ms Carina's plans to stay in Indonesia until next year after giving birth, while her husband had to fly back to Singapore. Eager travellers, such as Tina Seng and her family, found themselves stranded at the airport, unsure of their next steps.
SIA representatives informed some passengers that they could make reimbursement claims for their transport to the airport, but others were left uncertain about how to proceed. The volcanic ash disruption caused significant inconvenience for travellers, with long queues forming at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as stranded passengers waited for rescheduled flights, alternative transport options, or refunds.
Written by urgent.news from CNA - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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