Check flight status regularly, Malaysian Embassy advises travellers as Anak Krakatau spews ash

Abu gunung berapi Anak Krakatau has forced the closure of eight Indonesian airports, impacting approximately 150,000 passengers and 467 flights, according to the Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. The head of the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported that the ash was moving east at a speed of five knots at an altitude of 15,000 feet, following winds that had previously carried the ash towards the west towards the Indian Ocean.

Purwagandhi stated that after coordination, all eight airports were closed until midnight, and they would assess the situation at midnight. At noon, six airports were affected: Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java, Budiarto and Pondok Cabe Airports in Banten.

The closure was then expanded to include Taufik Kiemas and Atung Bungsu Airports in South Sumatra, making a total of eight airports closed. Purwagandhi mentioned that tests were conducted every 30 minutes at airports further east throughout Java to monitor whether the ash spread or decreased. He also said that authorities opened Kertajati, Semarang, Juanda, Yogyakarta, and Solo Airports for 24-hour operations as alternatives, with ground transportation, including train services, to be provided to passengers if airlines chose to use those airports.

Out of the 467 affected flights, 409 were domestic, and 58 were international. Purwagandhi said airlines are making arrangements for affected passengers, including providing hotel accommodations in certain cases.