Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau eruption shuts Jakarta’s main airport

Photo — Jeffry Surianto / Pexels

Indonesia’s **Mount Anak Krakatau**, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted on Sunday, sending ash high into the atmosphere and prompting the closure or suspension of operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, the main gateway to Jakarta and one of the busiest hubs in Asia.[1][4][11] Ash was detected in the airport’s surrounding airspace, leading aviation authorities to halt hundreds of flights and issue warnings that the disruption could extend to regional and international routes as airlines reroute or delay services.[1][4] Local officials have also suspended some school activities and coastal fishing due to ash fall and air-quality risks, while monitoring the volcano for further activity that could threaten nearby communities and maritime traffic.[1][4][11] The eruption is drawing global attention because of Anak Krakatau’s history—its predecessor, Krakatau, produced one of the most catastrophic eruptions ever recorded in 1883—and because any prolonged closure of Jakarta’s main airport has significant implications for regional travel, trade, and emergency response.[1][4][11]

Sources: CNN, NDTV, Al Jazeera