Anak Krakatau Erupts: Hundreds of Flights Cancelled

The eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano, which sent large amounts of volcanic ash into the atmosphere, severely disrupted air travel across the country. Flight operations were temporarily suspended at six airports in the region, while around 300 flights, including 55 international services, were affected at Jakarta’s main gateway, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Singapore Airlines also cancelled its flights to and from Jakarta for the remainder of the day.

Volcanic activity has continued since Friday night, with ash clouds reportedly reaching altitudes of up to 20,000 feet on the Java side of the volcano and 50,000 feet on the Sumatra side. As volcanic ash poses a serious safety risk to aircraft engines and other systems, airlines cancelled or rescheduled numerous flights across the region.