Indonesia suspended operations at its main international airport on Sunday due to an ash cloud from the Anak Krakatoa volcano, affecting more than 22,000 passengers and 209 flights.
Eruption and ash spread
Anak Krakatoa erupted on Saturday, producing lava and booming sounds that could be heard up to 700km away (435 miles), according to Indonesia's geology agency. Two more eruptions were recorded on Sunday.
Ash was detected in the airspace around Soekarno-Hatta international airport near Jakarta, prompting authorities to suspend operations. They announced several extensions of the shutdown, and at the time of writing the airport was to remain closed to flights until 1.30pm local time on Sunday.
Impact on flights and passengers
“The latest paper test … showed positive results indicating the spread of volcanic ash in the Soekarno-Hatta international airport area,” the transport ministry said. Volcanic ash can damage airliners' jet engines, baking on to hot internal parts and quickly wearing out turbine blades, as well as clogging fuel and air systems. It can also damage pilots' windscreens.
More than 22,000 passengers and 209 flights were affected, the transportation ministry said, in particular those bound to and from Singapore. Other affected international routes included Doha, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur. At least 16 domestic flights to Bali were cancelled, local airport authorities said.
Background and safety measures
Anak Krakatoa, which means Child of Krakatoa, sits in a strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra. The volcano has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea in the caldera formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa, one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic eruptions in human history with an estimated 35,000 people killed.
Port authorities said ships passing through the strait were prohibited to approach within a 3km radius of the volcano and should be vigilant for danger.
