Jakarta Airport Reopens as Anak Krakatau Ash Clears; Fresh Eruptions Monitored

Indonesia has reopened its main airport in Jakarta and four others that were shut due to volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, although fresh eruptions on Tuesday have raised the possibility of further travel disruption.

The volcano, located between Java and Sumatra, has blanketed Jakarta and surrounding areas with ash since its initial eruption late Friday. The fallout forced the closure of eight airports for safety reasons, affecting more than 340,000 travellers.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta's primary hub, resumed operations on Tuesday after winds dispersed the ash, according to Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi. Authorities will inspect 178 planes grounded at the airport during the closure, with the minister noting that preparing the aircraft may take additional time.

Traveller Alvin Pratama Putra, 31, who arrived at Soekarno-Hatta on Sunday for a work trip to South Korea, said his flight had been rescheduled to Thursday. "What can you do? It's nature. It's dangerous for the plane if you force it," he said, adding that he had been sleeping on a bench at the airport.

Four other airports, including a smaller facility in Jakarta and one in nearby Bandung, also reopened on Tuesday. Another airport had resumed operations on Monday, while two remain closed.

Chief Infrastructure Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono said on Monday that around 341,000 people had been affected by the delay, diversion, or cancellation of 2,961 flights across the shuttered airports.

Anak Krakatau erupted three more times on Tuesday morning, according to the volcano monitoring agency. While these eruptions were smaller than earlier ones, officials warned that flight disruption remains possible depending on ash height and wind direction.

"So far, the impact is not as big as the previous eruptions, but we'll continue to monitor," said Lana Saria, head of the geological agency.

Indonesia is home to about 130 active volcanoes, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically active zone where tectonic plates meet, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.

Anak Krakatau, meaning "child of Krakatau," emerged about a century ago from the area once occupied by Krakatau (Krakatoa). That older volcano destroyed itself in massive eruptions in 1883, which killed more than 36,000 people after triggering a series of tsunamis.