Flights to and from Indonesia’s capital resume after volcanic eruption forced a 2-day closure

Jakarta, Indonesia (AP) — Flights to and from Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta resumed early Tuesday after ash from a volcanic eruption caused a two-day shutdown that halted around 3,000 flights. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, and two smaller airports in Banten province all reopened shortly after midnight.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi announced that three additional airports would remain closed until 10 a.m., with Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung and Atung Bungsu Airport in South Sumatra still affected. Despite some airports showing no signs of volcanic ash, Purwagandhi decided to maintain the closures for safety, ensuring that the ash had dispersed from the vicinity of Anak Krakatau.

Even though tests at several airports revealed no traces of volcanic ash, the authorities believed that the extended closures would provide ample time for inspecting and cleaning surfaces and equipment such as runways, taxiways, and aircraft that might have been contaminated by the ash. The eruption of Anak Krakatau, which included lava fountains and loud booms, ended on Sunday; however, the volcanic island remained active on Tuesday morning.

The airport closures on Sunday and Monday disrupted nearly 2,961 flights, including 622 international services, and affected approximately 341,000 passengers.