JAKARTA, Sept 6 — Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta’s main airport, was temporarily closed on Sunday after volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau was detected in the airport area, disrupting 209 flights and affecting 22,798 passengers.
Civil Aviation Director General Lukman F Laisa said 16 international flights were cancelled, seven delayed and five rescheduled, involving services to and from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul/Incheon, Doha and Amsterdam.
For domestic services, he said four flights were cancelled and one was diverted, involving Lampung, Denpasar and Surabaya,
Makassar and Singapore recorded the highest number of affected flights for domestic and international routes, at 16 and 11, respectively.
“The main focus of all airport and airline personnel at present is to provide information periodically, ensure the availability of waiting areas, and provide handling in accordance with procedures,” he said in a statement on Sunday.
The Geological Agency in a special report published on its website on Saturday said Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has remained at Level III, or Siaga, since July 2, with repeated eruptions ejecting incandescent material and volcanic ash.
The agency said continuous eruptive activity accompanied by rumbling was recorded from 11.07 pm local time on Saturday, with the phenomenon resembling a lava fountain and producing lava flows, while a three-kilometre exclusion zone remained in place around the volcano.
Lukman said the airport was initially closed from 1.30 am to 5.30 am local time after a test conducted between 12.35 am and 1.05 am indicated volcanic ash dispersion at Soekarno-Hatta, before the closure was subsequently extended to 9.30 am following another test conducted by the Soekarno-Hatta Class I Meteorological Station.
He said particular attention was being given to the restoration of flight schedules due to the potential cascading impact on aircraft rotations, fleet availability, subsequent flight schedules and terminal capacity.
“Safety remains the main priority in every operational decision. Adjustments to flight operations will continue to be carried out dynamically based on developments in conditions on the ground,” he said.
Lukman advised passengers planning to travel through Soekarno-Hatta to monitor the latest information from their airlines on their flight status and to refrain from travelling to the airport for the time being.
