Anak Krakatau eruption - live: Airports remain shut due to 'volcanic ash' as 170,000 passengers left stranded

Anak Krakatau eruption - live: Airports remain shut due to 'volcanic ash' as 170,000 passengers left stranded Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano has erupted, sending a cloud of ash as high as 50,000ft into the sky and forcing the cancellation of all flights at the country's main airport More than 150,000 passengers have been left stranded after a massive volcanic eruption forced Indonesian authorities to suspend hundreds of flights at eight airports. The eruption sent two large clouds of volcanic ash as high as 20,000ft on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000ft on the Sumatra side and some parts of Banten province in Java. Eight airports, including the country's busiest, Soekarno-Hatta International near the capital Jakarta, have halted operations and will remain closed until at least midnight local time (6pm UK time). The eruption has so far disrupted 712 flights across the country, with flights delayed, suspended or cancelled. Indonesia's Geological Agency said Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in Indonesia's Sunda Strait, had shown signs of activity since Friday before erupting twice this morning (Sunday). The Anak Krakatau volcano - which translates to "child of Krakatoa" in Indonesian - was formed following the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, one of the most violent volcanic events in recorded history. Key Events Four airports are set to stay closed until 6pm on Monday, airport officials have said. It means flight disruption will continue for some of the 170,000 stranded passengers. "In connection with the increasing eruptive activity of Mount Anak Krakatau, several airports operated by PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports) have suspended flight operations until September 7, 2026, at 6:00 PM WIB," PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia said on its Instagram account. The four airports affected are Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK), Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (HLP), Radin Inten II Airport (TKG), and Husein Sastranegara Airport (BDO). Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre identified two ash clouds using satellite imagery following the eruption. One plume rose to 20,000 feet (6,100 metres) and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java and nearby waters. A second cloud reached 50,000 feet (15,200 metres) and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra. Anak Karakato's eruption impact extended beyond air travel as the government has authorised schools in areas affected by volcanic ash could temporarily move to online learning at home. The measure is intended to reduce students’ exposure to ashfall and allow local authorities to adjust classroom activities based on conditions on the ground. There were no casualties from Sunday's eruption, but experts believe the closure of eight airports affected 170,000 passengers from 1,558 canceled flights, including 963 flights in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport alone. The FCDO is advising Brits against travel to parts of Indonesia following the volcanic eruption on Friday. It says flights disruptions remain at Jakarta airports, Soekarno Hatto Airport and Halim Airport, which have been closed due to volcanic ash clouds. It also says to avoid travellng to the following areas in Indonesia: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province - to within 7km of the crater Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency, North Sumatr - to within 5km of the crater Mount Marapi, West Sumatra - to within 3km of the crater Mount Semeru, Lumajang Regency, East Java - to within 5km of the crater and in the south-east of Mount Semura to within 500m from any riverbank of the Besuk Kobokan river for 13km from the crater Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi - to within 7km of the crater Mount Ibu, North Maluku Province - to within 7km of the crater It warns travel insurance could be invalidated if you decide to travel against the FCDO's advice. In 2018, Anak Krakato collapsed in December, triggering a catastrophic tsnunami that killed hundreds of people along coastlines in Sumatra and Java. Fortunately, the Indonesian authorities have confirmed there is no tsunami risk linked to the volcano's activity this weekend. The transport ministry in Indonesia has said 1,558 flights have been delayed with eight airports closed until midnight tonight (Sunday) after Anak Krakatau erupted late on Friday night. Two more eruptions occurred earlier today, the authorities said. Most of the disruption is affecting flights to and from Singapore but also many other international routes, such as Doha, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur. Amid the major disruption in Indonesia today, with 150,000 passengers said to be stranded, the Transportation Ministry is reportedly urging commercial airlines to deliver compensation for passengers affected by the airport closures. Director General of Civil Aviation Lukman F. Laisa said in Jakarta on Sunday that airlines are legally bound to support stranded travellers. "Airlines are required to provide services and handling to affected passengers, including timely status updates and rebooking or refund options in accordance with applicable regulations,” Lukman said in a statement, reports Antara. To prevent overcrowding at airports, the ministry is advising passengers not to travel during the disruptuon today and to monitor official channels for regular updates. Indonesia has temporarily closed eight airports until midnight local time. The closures come after a change in wind direction raised concerns that volcanic ash from the eruption of Anak Krakatau could spread to a wider area. The airports temporarily closed are: - Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK) - Jakarta - Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport (HLP) - Jakarta - Radin Inten II Airport (TKG) - Bandar Lampung - Husein Sastranegara Airport (BDO) - Bandung - Pondok Cabe Airport (PCB) - South Tangerang - Budiarto Airport (RTO) - Tangerang (Curug) - Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas Airport (TFY) - Krui - Atung Bungsu Airport (PXA) - Pagar Alam Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said Kertajati, Jenderal Ahmad Yani and Juanda airports - all on the island of Java - are ready to handle rerouted domestic and international flights. More than 150,000 passengers have been left stranded after the eruption of Indonesia's Anak Krakatau volcano forced authorities to cancel all flights at the country's main airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, and seven others. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said 712 flights have so far been affected and urged airlines to consider diverting some flights to other airports. Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has said it will carry out a weather modification operation, which could include cloud seeding, in an effort to bring rain. "If it rains heavily enough, the volcanic ash that has been disrupting our daily lives since yesterday and continuing today will be washed away quickly," BNPB chief Suharyanto told a news conference. Samuel Guiberteau, a Danone executive who has been on a business trip to the Indonesian island of Lombok since Friday, said "nothing is certain for the moment" as he searched for an alternative flight back to Jakarta. "I had found another flight on Citilink, but it was also cancelled," the 47-year-old told the AFP news agency, adding that he has no choice but to stay in Lombok for the time being. Henny Yensan, 44, a businesswoman who was due to fly from Jakarta to her hometown in Sumatra, said she was forced to reschedule her flight for Tuesday. "Everybody was disappointed," she told AFP. "No one flew into a rage, because after all, this is due to natural disaster." Anak Krakatau is an Indonesian volcanic island located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra. Indonesia, an archipelago home to more than 280 million people, is prone to frequent seismic activity and has more than 120 active volcanoes. The country sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. Anak Krakatau, which means "Child of Krakatoa" in Indonesian, is a volcanic island that emerged from the remains of Krakatoa following the famous volcano's eruption in 1883. Krakatoa, also known as Krakatau, triggered massive tsunamis that killed more than 36,000 people and initiated a period of global cooling. In 2018, the eruption of Anak Krakatau caused a tsunami that killed at least 430 people on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. Researchers believe the volcanic activity triggered an underwater landslide, causing a large section of Anak Krakatau's southwest slope to collapse into the sea and displace a large volume of water. Scientists said the island was reduced to about a quarter of its original size following the 2018 eruption. No evacuation order has been issued following the latest eruption. The Australian airline Qantas has said there are "disruptions to a number of Qantas services, including cancellations to and from Jakarta today". The airline added: "Our meteorologists and operations teams are closely monitoring conditions in and around Jakarta and any impact on our operations. "Safety remains our highest priority. We have contacted affected customers and are providing assistance. Services will resume when conditions allow." The disruption to flight operations has affected more than 22,000 passengers, Indonesia's transport ministry said in a statement, with services to and from Singapore particularly affected. Nearly two dozen Singapore Airlines flights between Singapore and the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, scheduled to depart between 6.22am and 9.55pm local times today, have been cancelled. By mid-afternoon local time today (morning in the UK), the airport closures had affected 516 flight movements, including 202 at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport, with around 22,800 passengers affected. Authorities extended the closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport until at least 5.30pm local time (11.30am BST). Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has said it is closely monitoring the eruption’s impact on air travel and coordinating with airlines, airport operators, air navigation services and the meteorology agency. "Safety remains our top priority in every operational decision," said Lukman F Laisa, the transport ministry's director general of civil aviation. He warned that flight schedules could face cascading disruptions, affecting aircraft rotations, fleet availability and terminal capacity as airlines work to restore normal operations. The eruption has also disrupted services at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. The Anak Krakatau volcano began erupting late on Friday night before erupting twice more early today (Sunday), authorities said. Following the latest activity, volcanic ash spread across parts of Jakarta and Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra, Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation said. One ash cloud rose to 20,000 feet and drifted northeast over Jakarta, Banten, West Java and nearby waters, according to Indonesia’s volcanology agency and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, which detected the cloud using satellite imagery. A second cloud reached 50,000 feet and spread over parts of Banten, Lampung and Bengkulu provinces, the southern Sunda Strait and sections of the Indian Ocean west of Sumatra, the agency said. AirNav Indonesia closed airspace around Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, as well as four other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung, because of the volcanic ash. Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano erupted twice early on Sunday, sending volcanic ash as high as 20,000ft on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000ft on the Sumatra side, according to the country’s meteorological agency, BMKG. The latest eruption forced authorities to cancel all flights at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and several other airports. More than 22,000 passengers have been affected by the disruption, with 209 flights impacted, particularly those to and from Singapore, the transport ministry said. Indonesia's Geological Agency said Anak Krakatau, a volcanic island in the Sunda Strait, had shown signs of increased activity since Friday.