An eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano has forced eight airports to suspend operations, disrupting 1,558 flights and affecting around 170,000 passengers.
The closures included Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports. More than 960 flights at Soekarno-Hatta alone were delayed or cancelled.
The disruption coincides with Swedish Crown Princess Victoria’s visit to Indonesia from 4–8 September and the start of a Swedish business delegation in Jakarta. However, no official sources have reported that either programme has been affected.
Soekarno-Hatta extended its closure until 6pm on Monday. The seven other airports had been ordered to remain closed until at least 8.59am.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency BMKG detected volcanic ash at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. Authorities said changing winds made it impossible to determine when normal flight operations could safely resume.
The latest eruption was recorded at 8.23pm on Sunday. Authorities reported no immediate tsunami threat.
Source: Reuters
