Indonesia Volcano Erupts: Airport 150 Km Away Suspends Operations
Volcanic eruption disrupts airport operations and regional air travel.
Indonesia suspended operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatoa was detected in the airspace around the country's main international airport. The volcano, located more than 150 km from the airport, had erupted with increased activity, affecting thousands of passengers and disrupting hundreds of flights.
Mount Anak Krakatoa erupted on Saturday, producing a fountain of lava and powerful booming sounds that could be heard as far as 700 km away, according to Indonesia's geology agency. Two further eruptions were recorded on Sunday, prompting continued monitoring of the volcano and surrounding airspace as authorities assessed the risk posed by volcanic ash to aviation.
Airport operations were initially suspended from 1:30 am local time on Sunday after tests confirmed the presence of volcanic ash around Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The transportation ministry later extended the closure until 9:30 am, while the airport subsequently announced another four-hour extension because of increased eruptive activity.
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More than 22,000 passengers were affected by the disruption, with 209 flights impacted, according to the transportation ministry. International services to and from Singapore were among the most affected, while routes involving Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur also faced disruptions. At least 16 domestic flights to Bali were cancelled, according to local airport authorities.
Anak Krakatoa, meaning "Child of Krakatoa", is located in the Sunda Strait between Indonesia's islands of Java and Sumatra. Authorities also urged ships operating through the strait to remain alert to potential navigation hazards and prohibited vessels from approaching within a three-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano.
The volcano has remained intermittently active since emerging from the sea in the early 20th century within the caldera created by the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatoa. That eruption was among the most destructive volcanic disasters in history and killed an estimated 35,000 people. Indonesia lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic activity contributes to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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