Indonesian Airports Reopen as Anak Krakatau Ash Clears

Major Indonesian airports resumed operations early Tuesday after a two-day closure caused by volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, which disrupted nearly 3,000 flights and stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Key points

• Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, and Husein Sastranegara Airport reopened shortly after midnight following runway inspections and cleaning.
• Singapore Airlines added eight relief flights and retimed or cancelled several others due to the disruptions.
• The Meteorology, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency projected that remaining volcanic ash would move away from Indonesia toward the Indian Ocean.
• Mount Anak Krakatau experienced a new eruption Tuesday morning, and authorities maintained a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater.

Why it matters

The eruption and subsequent airport closures significantly impacted regional aviation, stranding over 340,000 passengers and disrupting international travel between Indonesia and regional hubs like Singapore.