JAKARTA: Indonesia’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport suspended flight operations until 9.30am on Sunday (Sep 6) due to volcanic ash from the ongoing eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, Jakarta’s main airport posted on Instagram.
The suspension, extending a halt that had been scheduled until 5.30 am, has affected 209 flights, including several international flights, Indonesia’s transportation ministry said.
International flights scheduled for Sunday that were delayed or cancelled include some to or from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Doha, according to the airport’s website.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) was among the airlines affected. The carrier cancelled two flights to and from Jakarta on Saturday. A third Jakarta-bound SIA flight that was originally scheduled for Saturday night was rescheduled to Sunday afternoon, while another flight that had been scheduled to depart from Jakarta to Singapore on Sunday morning was also delayed until 3.50pm.
“As the situation remains fluid, other SIA flights between Singapore and Indonesia may be affected,” said the carrier.
Passengers are advised to check SIA’s flight status page for the latest information on their flights.
Mount Anak Krakatau has been erupting since late on Friday, with volcanic ash detected in the airport early on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.
Dispersal of volcanic ash has disrupted activities in Lampung province in Indonesia’s Sumatra island and Banten province on Java, said Berton Panjaitan, a spokesperson for Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, BNPB.
“BNPB urges the public to remain calm while increasing vigilance. In the event of ashfall, people are advised to wear masks and eye protection, reduce outdoor activities, cover water sources and exercise caution when driving, as volcanic ash can reduce visibility,” he said.
Several schools cancelled activities on Saturday with students and residents suffering eye irritation from the ash, while fishermen cancelled their fishing trips due to the eruption, local media outlet Kompas reported.
The disaster mitigation agency said on Saturday there was no imminent risk of tsunami from the volcano.
