Volcanic ash shuts down Indonesia’s largest airport

Indonesia’s largest airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, was temporarily closed to flights due to volcanic ash spreading following an eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

According to CNBC Indonesia, citing the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the restrictions affected 33 flights.

The airport suspended operations at 1:30 a.m. local time on September 6. The closure was initially scheduled to last until 5:30 a.m., but was later extended until 9:30 a.m. The decision was made after an air quality check detected volcanic ash in the area.

As of the evening of September 5, 16 international flights had been canceled, seven delayed and another five rescheduled. The affected destinations included Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Seoul, Doha, Amsterdam and Kuala Lumpur. On domestic routes, four flights were canceled and one was diverted to another airport.

Indonesia’s Geological Agency reported that around 10 emissions of lava and ash occurred overnight on September 5, accompanied by underground tremors. Anak Krakatau’s volcanic activity intensified in July 2026.

By Jeyhun Aghazada