Flights to and from Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, have restarted following a two-day closure caused by volcanic ash from an eruption, leading to the cancellation of almost 3,000 flights. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, West Java, and two smaller airports in Banten province have reopened. However, three airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, remained closed until 10 a.m. local time due to changing wind directions.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that a cautious approach is being taken to ensure volcanic ash has dissipated from airports near Anak Krakatau. Despite tests showing no ash traces at some airports, extended closures are in place for inspection and cleaning of airport surfaces, runways, taxiways, and aircraft exposed to volcanic ash.
While the eruption of Anak Krakatau ended on Sunday, the volcanic island remained active on Tuesday morning. The airport closures disrupted nearly 2,961 flights, including 622 international services, affecting approximately 341,000 passengers.