By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-08 07:11:37 | Updated at 2026-09-08 08:22:55
1 hour ago
JAKARTA - All eight Indonesian airports that had been temporarily closed, including Jakarta’s two main airports, have reopened on Sept 8.
This followed the disruption caused by volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, but airlines now face a backlog after nearly 3,000 flights and about 341,000 passengers were affected over the course of three days.
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia’s main international gateway, reopened at 12.30am, while Halim Perdanakusuma airport resumed operations at 12.40am local time (1.40am Singapore time), according to the latest Notices to Airmen, or Notams, issued by state-owned air navigation operator AirNav Indonesia on Sept 8.
Singapore Airlines said on Sept 8 that it was adding eight relief flights between Singapore and Jakarta to move passengers affected by the disruption, subject to seat availability.
Affected passengers would be progressively rebooked on the next available flights as services resumed, it said. But disruptions continued, with one Jakarta-Singapore flight cancelled and six services between the two cities retimed on Sept 8.
Coordinating Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said during a visit to Soekarno-Hatta on the evening of Sept 7 that 2,961 domestic and international flights and about 341,000 passengers had been affected over the previous three days.
Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, began erupting on Sept 4, with volcanic ash spreading towards Jakarta and forcing the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta and several other airports.
Some passengers had been stranded at airports while others were forced to cancel their journeys, Agus said.
He said passengers whose flights were cancelled were entitled to full refunds, including those who booked through online travel agents. Free buses and trains were also being provided for passengers diverted through alternative airports to help them continue their journeys.
Even with the airports open, flight schedules may take time to return to normal.
Aviation analysts told The Straits Times on Sept 7 that a prolonged closure can leave both aircraft and crews in incorrect locations, while crew duty-hour limits and the need to rebook displaced passengers can further slow the recovery process.
“When an airport is opened, it means that operationally the airport can be used, but it does not necessarily mean that all flights will immediately return to normal,” Indonesian Aviation Association analyst Polana Pramesti said. “Recovery of the flight network can take several hours or even longer.”
The reopening came as Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) reported improving conditions on Sept 8.
Paper tests at all eight airports that had been closed were negative for volcanic ash as at 6am, BMKG said.
At 9am, volcanic ash was being monitored at altitudes of up to 7,000 feet, or 2.13km, moving south to south-west towards north-western Banten and the Indian Ocean. This compared with ash detected as high as 50,000 feet, or 15.24km, on Sept 7.
Anak Krakatau has remained active, with a small eruption recorded at 7.49am on Sept 8 that lasted 19 seconds. BMKG said volcanic and related activity had nevertheless declined compared with previous days.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the movement of volcanic ash to ensure flights can operate safely.
President Prabowo Subianto said on Sept 7 that the Anak Krakatau eruption, a recent earthquake in Flores and continuing forest fires showed that Indonesia needed to significantly increase spending on disaster mitigation and prepare equipment before emergencies strike.
“This is our destiny – a country that lies in the Ring of Fire. This means we must be prepared to face situations like these at all times,” Prabowo said at a meeting.
He ordered officials to draw up a comprehensive disaster mitigation master plan, including more helicopters, water pumps, fire engines and excavators, as well as aircraft for weather modification and drones capable of dropping water.
“We must prepare to deal with and mitigate disasters. Do not wait until they happen. We must prepare long beforehand,” he said.
AirNav said it would continue monitoring Anak Krakatau and the spread of volcanic ash, and issue further aviation updates as conditions change.
