Air traffic resumed on Tuesday, September 8, gradually, at Jakarta's main international airport, after a volcanic eruption that caused one of the biggest air traffic disruptions in Indonesia in recent years. The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, located 150 kilometers from the capital, occurred on Sunday and led to the cancellation or postponement of approximately 3,000 flights, leaving more than 340,000 passengers stranded.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport, which serves Jakarta, as well as four other airports, reopened in the early hours of Tuesday, after authorities cleaned the infrastructure of volcanic ash. Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi warned that it would take some time for traffic to return to normal, as authorities needed to ensure all aircraft were in condition to fly. About 178 aircraft were on the runways of Soekarno-Hatta airport on Tuesday morning.
Three flights departed shortly after the airport reopened, including two commercial flights heading to eastern Indonesia. The minister asked passengers for "a little patience," noting that available aircraft would be used, but only after verification of their airworthiness.
Anak Krakatau ("Son of Krakatoa") erupted at least three times on Tuesday morning, but with less intensity than on Sunday. Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands, lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where intense volcanic and seismic activity is caused by the meeting of tectonic plates.
