INDOPOSCO.ID – The government has prepared a number of alternative airports to maintain air connectivity as several airports across Java and Sumatra continue to be affected by volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau in Banten.
Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi said flight operations were being adjusted dynamically based on the latest conditions regarding the spread of volcanic ash and aviation safety considerations.
“Based on the latest data from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), we have decided to extend the temporary suspension of airport operations until 6 p.m. local time today. However, we will continue monitoring the latest information from the BMKG,” Dudy said while directly monitoring operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Monday (Sept. 7, 2026).
The six airports prepared as alternatives are Juanda Airport in East Java; Adi Soemarmo and Jenderal Ahmad Yani airports in Central Java; Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) and Adisutjipto Airport in the Special Region of Yogyakarta; and Kertajati International Airport in West Java.
Dudy urged both domestic and international airlines to use the alternative airports as needed. The measure is considered important to prevent passenger congestion caused by flight cancellations, delays and diversions.
“We encourage airlines to use these airports to avoid passenger buildup, both for arriving and departing passengers. We hope this will allow passenger management to be optimized,” he said.
Meanwhile, based on an operational update issued Monday (Sept. 7, 2026) at 9 a.m. local time, seven airports remained temporarily closed until 6 p.m. due to the impact of volcanic ash.
The airports are Soekarno-Hatta Airport in Banten; Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung; Budiarto Airport in Banten; Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta; Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten; Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas Airport in Lampung; and Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java.
Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, South Sumatra, which had previously been closed, resumed normal operations at 9 a.m. local time.
Dudy explained that the situation followed another eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau on Sunday night. The eruption produced a new plume of volcanic ash, whose movement was subsequently affected by wind patterns at several atmospheric layers.
“Mount Anak Krakatau erupted again last night, producing new volcanic ash. The BMKG also reported that wind directions around Mount Anak Krakatau varied across several different layers of the atmosphere,” he explained.
According to BMKG monitoring on Monday morning (Sept. 7, 2026), volcanic ash was still detected at two altitude levels, reaching up to 15,000 feet and 50,000 feet. The condition still poses a potential disruption to flight routes.
The eruption has also had a significant impact on air traffic. As of 9 a.m. local time on Monday (Sept. 7), around 2,300 flights and 270,337 passengers had been affected.
The figures represent the cumulative operational impact since Sept. 5, 2026, including flights that were canceled, delayed or diverted.
At the temporarily closed airports, 1,397 flights involving approximately 177,579 passengers were affected. Meanwhile, another 922 flights involving approximately 92,758 passengers were affected by flight-route adjustments. (nas)
