Flights to and from Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, have resumed following a volcanic eruption that led to a two-day closure affecting almost 3,000 flights. Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi announced the reopening of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung, and two smaller airports in Banten province just after midnight. However, three other airports, including Radin Inten II Airport in Lampung and Atung Bungsu Airport in Pagar Alam, remained closed until 10 a.m. local time due to dynamic wind directions.
Purwagandhi emphasized the need for caution to ensure volcanic ash had dispersed from airports around Anak Krakatau. Despite tests showing no ash traces at some airports, the extended closures allowed for thorough inspections and cleaning of surfaces, runways, and aircraft exposed to volcanic ash.
Although the continuous eruption of Anak Krakatau subsided on Sunday, the volcanic island remained active on Tuesday morning. The airport closures over the weekend disrupted nearly 2,961 flights, including 622 international services, affecting approximately 341,000 passengers.