Indonesia extends closure of 4 airports as volcano erupts again

JAKARTA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia extended flight suspensions at four airports until 6:00 p.m. local time on Monday after Mount Anak Krakatau erupted again overnight, sending volcanic ash toward Jakarta, authorities said.

An aerial drone photo provided by Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) shows volcanic materials spewing from Mount Anak Krakatau in Lampung province, Indonesia, Sept. 6, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

Airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia said flights remained suspended at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma airports, as well as Radin Inten II in Lampung and Husein Sastranegara in Bandung.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said satellite imagery showed two clusters of volcanic ash still drifting toward Jakarta as of 6:00 a.m. Monday.

The renewed eruption came after ash from Anak Krakatau disrupted more than 1,500 flights and affected around 170,000 passengers over the weekend.

Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has erupted repeatedly in recent years. Its partial collapse in 2018 triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people.