Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2026 — Air travel across Southeast Asia faced severe disruption Sunday after intense explosive activity at Mount Anak Krakatau sent vast ash plumes soaring up to 50,000 feet into the sky.
The resulting airborne hazard forced safety authorities to temporarily ground flights at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, triggering a chain reaction of cancellations, delays and reroutings among major regional carriers.
The decision to halt operations at Indonesia’s principal gateway followed runway inspections conducted between midnight and 1 a.m., which confirmed dangerous accumulations of volcanic ash, Al Jazeera reported.
Initially intended as a brief suspension, the operational halt was extended until midafternoon to ensure runway safety. Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation confirmed dozens of disrupted routes during the early hours, including 16 international cancellations and numerous delayed arrivals, Al Jazeera reported.
Civil Aviation Director General Lukman F. Laisa said safety protocols required the shutdown, as airborne volcanic glass can pose severe risks to aircraft jet engines and cockpit visibility.
“Safety remains the top priority in every operational decision, including flight schedule adjustments made by airlines,” Lukman said, adding that authorities continued to coordinate with airlines, air navigation teams and meteorological specialists.
Airlines operating in the region swiftly restructured their schedules to safeguard passengers.
Garuda Indonesia and AirAsia announced widespread schedule adjustments, urging passengers traveling to or from Jakarta to check digital portals before heading to the terminals.
Garuda Indonesia advised travelers to verify their flight status before leaving for the airport. Passengers can contact the airline’s Contact Center at 0804 1 807 807 or 021 2351 9999 and monitor its official digital channels for updates.
Emphasizing that passenger well-being remains its primary priority, the airline thanked travelers for their cooperation and patience during the weather-related scheduling changes.
AirAsia canceled or rescheduled multiple flights to and from Jakarta after Soekarno-Hatta International Airport halted operations until 9:30 a.m. local time, or 10:30 a.m. Malaysian time.
Singapore Airlines canceled nearly 20 scheduled flights on the busy Singapore-Jakarta route throughout the day, warning that the movement of ash clouds could lead to further schedule changes on routes across Indonesia.
The affected services included major departure windows throughout the day.
Singapore (SIN) to Jakarta (CGK): SQ950, SQ952, SQ956, SQ958, SQ968D, SQ960, SQ962, SQ964 and SQ966.
Jakarta (CGK) to Singapore (SIN): SQ953, SQ955, SQ957, SQ959, SQ951D, SQ961, SQ963, SQ965 and SQ967.
In its latest advisory, Singapore Airlines said the situation remained fluid and that additional flights between Singapore and Indonesia could face delays or cancellations as ash clouds from Mount Anak Krakatau continued to drift across regional flight corridors.
The airline advised affected passengers to check their flight status on its official website, ensure their contact information was updated to receive timely notifications, and use the online assistance form for rebooking or refund options.
Customers who made their bookings through travel agencies were advised to contact their respective agents directly for assistance.
Mount Anak Krakatau, which emerged in the 1920s from the submerged caldera created by the catastrophic 1883 Krakatoa eruption, began its latest eruptive phase late Friday.
Indonesia’s state meteorological agency, BMKG, recorded lava fountains and shock waves that were heard hundreds of miles away, accompanied by massive ash columns drifting over Banten province, Java and Sumatra.
Despite the intensity of the ash plumes and seismic activity, national disaster mitigation authorities said the current eruption posed no immediate tsunami threat to coastal populations. (ANI)
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