JAKARTA - Seven Indonesian airports remain closed until an estimated 6 p.m. Monday because of volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau.
The latest AirNav Indonesia operational update lists Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma, Radin Inten II, Budiarto, Husein Sastranegara, Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas and Pondok Cabe as closed. Pagar Alam’s Atung Bungsu Airport, which had also been affected, reopened at 8:12 a.m. Monday.
The seven-airport status follows a wider series of closures as ash from the volcano spread across western Indonesia. Four of the airports — Soekarno-Hatta, Halim, Radin Inten II and Husein Sastranegara — are operated by PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia, or InJourney Airports.
InJourney Airports said the closures at those four airports affected 2,300 flights and 268,539 passengers between September 5 and 9 a.m. on September 7. Soekarno-Hatta accounted for 1,320 affected flights and 173,474 passengers during that period.
The figures cover InJourney’s four affected airports and should not be read as a total for all seven airports that remain closed.
Passengers affected by the disruption have been advised to monitor updates from their airlines. The government has also told carriers to facilitate refunds or flight rescheduling, while free buses and trains have been arranged for some passengers whose flights from Soekarno-Hatta are transferred to alternative airports.
Anak Krakatau, in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, has remained at Level III, or Siaga, since July 2. Indonesia’s Geological Agency maintains a three-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano and warns of hazards including lava, incandescent volcanic material and heavy ashfall.
AirNav said airport restrictions could continue to change as conditions develop.
“AirNav Indonesia continues to monitor airspace conditions and the spread of Anak Krakatau’s volcanic ash,” corporate secretary Hermana Soegijantoro said.
