Seven Indonesian airports shut as Anak Krakatau volcanic ash spreads

From the Sunda Strait, where the restless child of Krakatau has long reminded humanity of the earth's indifference to human schedules, a fresh eruption sent ash across Indonesian skies in early September 2026, compelling authorities to close seven airports. The decision reflects a hard-won wisdom: volcanic ash and aircraft engines are incompatible in ways that can be catastrophic, and the protocols now exist precisely because past generations learned this at great cost. In an archipelago nation where flight is often the only practical bridge between islands, the closure ripples outward — throu