Massive explosion causes travel chaos in Krakatoa – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

More than 150,000 people are stranded in Indonesia after the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa disrupted air travel, leading to flight cancellations at the country’s main international gateway near Jakarta.

All flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport were canceled after volcanic ash was discovered in the airspace around the hub, while operations at five other airports were also suspended.

Indonesian Transport Minister Dudi Purwagandhi said 712 flights had been affected so far and urged airlines to consider rerouting flights to alternative airports as authorities monitor continued volcanic activity.

The disruption followed a powerful 30-second eruption early on Sunday after volcanic activity around Anak Krakatoa intensified late Friday.

Lana Saria, head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said the volcano had shown increased activity since July, with Sunday’s eruption being the strongest so far in the current period of unrest.

She said the repeated eruptions indicate magma and volcanic gases continue to flow beneath the volcano, although authorities cannot determine whether the activity will develop into a larger eruption.

🌋**The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatoa in Indonesia led to the cancellation of more than 300 flights at 6 airports and the closure of schools**, reports Reuters.

The volcano resumed its activity on September 4. The ash tree has already reached a height of 6000 meters on the Java side and… pic.twitter.com/YPMQ2iThCA

– Gianl1974 (@Gianl1974) September 6, 2026

“We continue to evaluate the development of the volcano based on all monitoring data, not just the number of eruptions or the height of the ash column,” Saria said in a video briefing.

She warned that the main dangers included volcanic ash, high concentrations of gas and the release of hot rocks and other material around the crater.

Since July 2, Anak Krakatau has remained at Alert Level 3, the second highest in Indonesia’s four-level volcano alert system.

The increased volcanic activity has heightened concerns in the country, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is home to numerous active volcanoes.

Four other Indonesian volcanoes are also currently at alert level three: East Java’s Mount Semeru, Mount Merapi, Lewotobi Laki-laki and Sinabung.

The disruption at Soekarno-Hatta Airport has had serious consequences for airlines and passengers, with hundreds of services affected as volcanic ash poses a potential risk to aircraft engines and flight operations.

Indonesia has temporarily suspended operations at six airports as volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau spread across parts of western Indonesia.

Closed airports:
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta’s main airport in Tangerang)
Halim Perdanakusuma… pic.twitter.com/XZDq1CbxW9

— Video T_CAS (@tecas2000) September 6, 2026

Australian carrier Qantas said it was experiencing disruption to several services related to the eruption.

“The eruption caused disruption to a number of Qantas services,” the airline said.

The airline added: “Our meteorologists and operations teams are closely monitoring conditions in and around Jakarta and any impact on our operations.

“Safety remains our top priority. We have contacted affected customers and are providing assistance. Services will resume when conditions allow.”

The scale of the destruction highlights the vulnerability of one of Southeast Asia’s busiest aviation networks to volcanic activity. Even when eruptions do not directly threaten populated areas, ash clouds can force airlines to ground planes or reroute flights over large areas.

For passengers, the immediate impact will likely depend on how long Anak Krakatoa remains active and how volcanic ash moves through the surrounding airspace.

Meanwhile, the priority for Indonesia’s aviation sector is balancing the economic costs of large-scale flight cancellations and diversions with the potentially serious safety risks posed by operating aircraft in polluted airspace.

As the volcano continues to erupt and authorities cannot rule out further escalation, airlines will likely continue to depend on updated geological and meteorological assessments before restoring normal schedules.