Flights to and from Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, have resumed following a two-day closure caused by volcanic ash from an eruption. Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Husein Sastranegara Airport, and two smaller airports in Banten province reopened early Tuesday, as announced by Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi.
While some airports showed improved conditions, three others, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, remained closed until 10 a.m. local time due to dynamic wind directions. The decision to extend closures was made to ensure that volcanic ash had dispersed from airports near Anak Krakatau.
Despite tests indicating no presence of volcanic ash at several airports, the additional closure time was allocated for thorough inspections and cleaning of runways, taxiways, and aircraft exposed to volcanic ash residues. Mount Anak Krakatau, which had been actively erupting with lava fountains and loud noises, continued its volcanic activity on Tuesday morning.
The closure of airports on Sunday and Monday led to the disruption of nearly 2,961 flights, including 622 international flights, affecting approximately 341,000 passengers.
