Anak Krakatau Volcano Erupts, Disrupting Flights in Indonesia

Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted early Sunday, leading to the cancellation of all flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and affecting other domestic airports due to volcanic ash drifting across parts of western Indonesia. The eruption occurred at 3:53 a.m. and lasted for 30 seconds, following signs of activity that began on Friday, according to Indonesia’s Geological Agency. Closed-circuit camera footage captured lava flares from the volcano. No casualties were reported, and no evacuation order was issued, although authorities advised residents and visitors to remain at least 2 miles from the active crater. Volcanic ash spread to areas in Jakarta and Lampung province, as noted by Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports in Jakarta, along with four other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung. By mid-afternoon, the closures had impacted 516 flight movements, including 202 at Soekarno-Hatta, affecting approximately 22,800 passengers. The airport was ordered closed until at least 5:30 p.m. Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation is monitoring the eruption's effects on air travel and coordinating with airlines and airport operators. Lukman F. Laisa, the Ministry of Transportation director general of civil aviation, emphasized that safety is the top priority in operational decisions and warned of potential cascading disruptions to flight schedules. The eruption also affected services at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport and Medan. Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds via satellite imagery, with one plume reaching 20,000 feet (6,100 meters) and drifting northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java, and adjacent waters. A second cloud ascended to 50,000 feet (15,200 meters) and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung, Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait, and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra. Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, reported that activity at Anak Krakatau has intensified since July, with the recent eruption being the strongest during this period of unrest. She noted that the repeated eruptions suggest a continued supply of magma and volcanic gases beneath the volcano, although officials cannot predict the likelihood of a larger eruption. Saria stated, "We continue to evaluate the volcano’s development based on all monitoring data, not solely on the number of eruptions or the height of the ash column." She highlighted the main hazards as volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas, and the ejection of hot rocks and other materials around the crater area. Anak Krakatau, meaning “child of Krakatau,” is the offspring of the historic Krakatau, whose significant 1883 eruption caused a period of global cooling. The 2018 eruption resulted in a tsunami that claimed at least 430 lives in Sumatra and Java, attributed to volcanic activity triggering an underwater landslide that caused a large portion of Anak Krakatau’s southwest slope to collapse and displace a significant volume of water. Scientists have indicated that Anak Krakatau island is now only about a quarter of its original size following that eruption.