Flights resume gradually in Indonesia after volcanic eruption
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Passengers waiting on Sept 7 at a terminal at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which had been closed for days owing to the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- Flights in Indonesia resumed gradually on Sept 7 after Anak Krakatau's eruption closed major airports and stranded over 340,000 passengers.
- Authorities cleared volcanic ash from runways and inspected 178 aircraft at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport to ensure safety before flights resumed.
- Anak Krakatau erupted multiple times on Sept 8; the volcano is historically active and caused a deadly tsunami in 2018.
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JAKARTA – Indonesia had planes flying again on Sept 8 after a volcanic eruption forced the country’s major airports to close for days, with the authorities saying that flights would resume gradually.
The disruption, caused by the eruption of Anak Krakatau, halted nearly 3,000 flights and stranded more than 340,000 passengers.
The country’s main airport serving the capital Jakarta and four other airports reopened early on Sept 8 after the authorities cleared volcanic ash from critical infrastructure.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi told reporters it would take time for flight schedules to return to normal.
Dudy said there were some 178 aircraft at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Jakarta’s main air travel hub.
“We will be operating these aircraft, but before we do so, we want to ensure their airworthiness. So, it may take a bit of extra time,” he said.
“We ask for a little patience from passengers and the public, as we will be carrying out inspections to ensure that these aircraft are fit to fly,” he added.
The minister said three flights departed shortly after the airport reopened, including two commercial flights to eastern Indonesia.
Airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia said in a statement that volcanic ash had been cleared from the runway and other areas to ensure the facilities were safe for flights.
Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatau, sits in a strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra.
The volcano erupted at least three times on the morning of Sept 8, according to Lana Saria, the head of the Geology Agency.
The volcano has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea at the beginning of last century in the caldera that formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau.
A 2018 tsunami triggered by a collapse of parts of Anak Krakatau killed 429 people and displaced thousands. AFP
