From the restless throat of Anak Krakatau — a name that carries centuries of geological memory — volcanic ash drifted northward into the skies above Jakarta on Sunday, compelling the city's main airport to silence its runways until the air could be trusted again. Thirty-three flights, including several Singapore Airlines services, were suspended or rescheduled as the eruption that began Friday evening continued to assert nature's authority over human timetables. Authorities moved quickly to distinguish between the disruption that was real — ash in the air, engines at risk — and the catastrophe
Jakarta airport suspends flights as Mount Anak Krakatau ash disrupts operations
The situation remains fluid, other flights may be affected
Mark
So the airport just closed because of ash in the air? How does that actually work—why can't planes fly through it?
Mimi
Volcanic ash is different from regular dust. It's abrasive and can damage jet engines, scratch windshields, and mess with visibility. Once it's detected at the airport, they have to shut down until it clears.
Luke
The source says ash was detected early Sunday, but it doesn't explain how they measure when it's safe to reopen. Was 9:30 am based on actual air quality readings, or was it a precautionary estimate?
Mimi
That's a fair question. The ministry said the suspension was extended, but they don't specify the criteria. It could have been real-time monitoring or a conservative buffer.
Mark
And Singapore Airlines said other flights might be affected. Does that mean the volcano could keep erupting and keep closing the airport?
Mimi
Exactly. The ministry said the situation was fluid. If the eruption continues, ash could keep drifting over the airport.
Luke
The disaster agency ruled out a tsunami, which is good. But that's a separate hazard from the ash. The two aren't really connected—they're just both volcano-related.
Mark
So passengers are basically stuck waiting for the ash to settle?
Mimi
Or rebooked on later flights, like the Singapore Airlines passengers. But yes, until the air clears, the airport stays closed.
Luke
One thing the reporting doesn't say: how many passengers were actually affected across all 33 flights? We know the number of flights, but not the human count.
O Pulso
- Mount Anak Krakatau erupted late Friday, and by Sunday morning its ash had reached Jakarta's airport, forcing a runway closure that stretched well past the originally planned 5:30 am reopening to 9:30 am.
- Thirty-three domestic and international flights were caught in the disruption, with Singapore Airlines cancelling two Saturday services outright and rescheduling two others into Sunday afternoon.
- The airline warned that the situation remained fluid and that further flights on the Singapore-Indonesia corridor could face similar delays in the hours ahead.
- Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency moved to calm public fear, confirming the eruption carried no imminent tsunami risk — but the ash itself remained a silent, engine-threatening hazard that kept the airport closed.
- Passengers were directed to monitor real-time flight status updates as authorities waited for air quality and visibility to improve enough to safely resume operations.
From the restless throat of Anak Krakatau — a name that carries centuries of geological memory — volcanic ash drifted northward into the skies above Jakarta on Sunday, compelling the city's main airport to silence its runways until the air could be trusted again. Thirty-three flights, including several Singapore Airlines services, were suspended or rescheduled as the eruption that began Friday evening continued to assert nature's authority over human timetables. Authorities moved quickly to distinguish between the disruption that was real — ash in the air, engines at risk — and the catastrophe that was not, confirming no tsunami threat as travelers and residents waited for the skies to clear.
Mount Anak Krakatau began erupting late Friday evening, and by Sunday morning the ash it cast into the atmosphere had reached Jakarta's main airport, forcing a halt to all flight operations. What had initially been a closure scheduled to lift at 5:30 am was extended to 9:30 am as the eruption continued and conditions remained unsafe. Thirty-three flights — domestic and international alike — were caught in the standstill.
Singapore Airlines absorbed much of the immediate disruption. Two Saturday flights between Singapore and Jakarta were cancelled entirely. A flight meant to arrive in Jakarta on Saturday night was pushed to Sunday afternoon, and a Sunday morning departure was held until 3:50 pm. The carrier cautioned that other services on the Singapore-Indonesia route could face similar fates as the situation remained unpredictable.
Indonesia's transportation ministry confirmed that ash had been detected at the airport early Sunday, driving the decision to extend the suspension beyond its original window. Meanwhile, the country's disaster mitigation agency worked to contain public alarm, stating clearly that the eruption posed no imminent tsunami risk. The reassurance drew an important line: the danger was real but bounded — ash capable of damaging aircraft engines and grounding flights, but not the seismic force capable of generating dangerous waves. Passengers were advised to check flight status pages as authorities waited for the skies to settle.
Mount Anak Krakatau began erupting late Friday evening, and by Sunday morning, the volcanic ash it released had forced Jakarta's main airport to halt all flight operations. The suspension, which extended an earlier closure scheduled to end at 5:30 am, kept the runway closed until 9:30 am on Sunday. In those hours, 33 flights—a mix of domestic and international services—were caught in the disruption.
Singapore Airlines bore the immediate weight of the delays. The carrier cancelled two flights between Singapore and Jakarta on Saturday entirely. Two additional flights faced rescheduling: one that was supposed to arrive in Jakarta Saturday night was pushed to Sunday afternoon, while a Sunday morning departure from Jakarta to Singapore was held until 3:50 pm. The airline issued a cautionary statement acknowledging that the situation remained unpredictable and that other services on the Singapore-Indonesia route could face similar disruptions in the coming hours.
The volcano's activity had been detected early Sunday morning when ash reached the airport, according to Indonesia's transportation ministry. The decision to extend the suspension beyond the originally planned 5:30 am window reflected the ongoing nature of the eruption and the uncertainty about when conditions would improve enough to resume safe flight operations. Passengers were directed to check Singapore Airlines' flight status pages for real-time updates on their bookings.
Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency moved to contain public alarm by confirming on Saturday that the eruption posed no immediate tsunami threat. The statement was meant to reassure residents and travelers that while the ash disruption was genuine and significant, the volcano was not triggering the kind of seismic activity that could generate dangerous waves. Still, the ash itself remained the pressing operational problem—invisible enough to slip into engines and damage aircraft systems, visible enough to force airports to shut down until visibility and air quality improved.
Citações Notáveis
As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected.— Singapore Airlines
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em CNA ↗
Transportation