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

Flights to and from Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, resumed early Tuesday following a volcanic eruption that had forced a two-day closure on Sunday and Monday. The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau released ash that disrupted nearly 3,000 flights, affecting around 341,000 passengers. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, West Java, and two smaller airports in Banten province all reopened shortly after midnight.

However, Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung on the southern tip of Sumatra island remained closed until 10 a.m. Despite improving conditions, the Transportation Minister, Dudy Purwagandhi, advised a cautious approach, stating that volcanic ash could still be present in various directions, and the authorities wanted to ensure the ash had moved away from airports near Anak Krakatau.

While tests at several airports showed no traces of volcanic ash, the extended closures allowed for the inspection and cleaning of surfaces and equipment that may have been exposed to the ash. The eruption, characterized by lava fountains and loud booms, continued on Tuesday morning, with eruptions reported at 5:08 a.m. and 5:34 a.m. However, the height of the ash column could not be observed.