Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau eruption halts flights, schools, fishing

Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau eruption halts flights, schools, fishing. Reuters Published September 6, 2026 Updated September 6, 2026 03: 02pm.

Key points

• Soekarno-Hatta International Airport suspended flight operations until 1: 30pm (11: 30am PKT) due to volcanic ash, the airport posted on Instagram, stranding hundreds of passengers at the facility.
• Some 850km away from Anak Krakatau, Mount Semeru in East Java additionally erupted on Sunday, sending an ash column 1km above the summit, stated volcano monitoring agency PVMBG.
• The suspension has affected 301 flights, including 58 international flights, airport operator Angkasa Pura remarked in an official note.
• Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, emerged a century ago from the area once occupied by Krakatau, then known as Krakatoa.
• "I thought Jakarta-to-Samarinda still available – apparently it is also cancelled, " Suhardi, who goes by one name, informed Reuters.

After some school activities and fishing were halted, an eruption of Indonesia's Mount Anak Krakatau caused six airports to suspend flight operations on Sunday, affecting hundreds of flights at Jakarta's main airport.

Notably, the suspension has affected 301 flights, including 58 international flights, airport operator Angkasa Pura remarked in an official note. Singapore Airlines remarked it had cancelled flights to and from Jakarta for the rest of the day.

Anak Krakatau, which is roughly halfway between Java and Sumatra in Indonesia's vast island chain, has been erupting since late on Friday, with volcanic ash detected at the airport early on Sunday, the transport ministry remarked. Passengers stuck at Soekarno-Hatta International.

Ash reached as high as 6, 000 metres on the Java side of the volcano and 15, 000 metres on the Sumatra side, and in some parts of Banten province in Java, the meteorological agency BMKG posted on its website.

After one domestic flight was cancelled, Suhardi, 58, created his way to Soekarno-Hatta, hoping to catch a connecting flight in the morning for a business trip to Samarinda on the Indonesian part of Borneo island.

French national Eloan Tasset, 21, obtained a text from Batik Air that his flight to his holiday destination of Manado in North Sulawesi had been delayed, but he stated it was unclear how long the delay would be.

"If they tell me my flight is cancelled, I think I'm going to try to find a hotel in Jakarta, " he remarked.

For context, the airport operator remarked it was providing food and light refreshments for affected passengers and buses to hotels, in coordination with the airlines.

For context, the disaster mitigation agency BNPB remarked it would conduct a weather modification operation. It could include cloud-seeding, on Sunday to promote rain.

"If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly, " BNPB chief Suharyanto informed a press conference. 5 Indonesian volcanoes at alert level 3.

BNPB "urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance. As volcanic ash can reduce visibility, " stated spokesperson Berton Panjaitan, in the event of ashfall, individuals are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving.

Ferries in Sunda Strait were operating normally, the transport ministry remarked, urging vessels to stay at least 3km away from Anak Krakatau's crater and remain vigilant for volcanic hazards, including volcanic ash and other ejected materials.

While fishermen cancelled fishing trips, local media outlet Kompas noted, a number of schools cancelled activities on Saturday after students and residents suffered eye irritation from the ash.

Some 850km away from Anak Krakatau, Mount Semeru in East Java additionally erupted on Sunday, sending an ash column 1km above the summit, stated volcano monitoring agency PVMBG. It advised residents to stay at least 5km away from the crater and cautioned of the risk of hot ash clouds and lava flows up to 17km from the summit.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent. Since July 2, anak Krakatau has been on alert level 3, the second-highest. As were three other volcanoes: Merapi, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Sinabung, semeru was additionally on level 3.

Meanwhile, the disaster mitigation agency remarked there was no imminent risk of tsunami from the volcano. A tsunami in 2018 caused by Anak Krakatau eruptions killed more than 400 on Java and Sumatra.

Anak Krakatau, which means child of Krakatau, emerged a century ago from the area once occupied by Krakatau, then known as Krakatoa. The older volcano destroyed itself in mass eruptions in 1883. It killed more than 36, 000 individuals in a series of tsunamis.

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