Jakarta (ANTARA) – The fallout from Mount Anak Krakatau’s eruption expanded rapidly on Sunday as Indonesian authorities shut down eight regional airports—up from an initial six—grounding air traffic across Western Java and Southern Sumatra due to drifting volcanic ash.
Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi confirmed the expanded shutdown during an updated media briefing in Jakarta, emphasizing that operational decisions are strictly prioritizing aviation safety amid unpredictable atmospheric conditions.
The list of temporarily closed airports includes Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Tangerang, Banten), Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (Jakarta), Radin Inten II Airport (Lampung), Husein Sastranegara Airport (Bandung, West Java), Budiarto Airport (Curug, Tangerang), Pondok Cabe Airport (South Tangerang), Taufik Kiemas Airport (Pesisir Barat, Lampung), and Atung Bungsu Airport (Pagar Alam, South Sumatra).
With indefinite closure timelines dependent on ash dispersion, Dudy instructed commercial carriers to provide clear, real-time updates and to ensure all affected passengers receive full ticket refunds without unnecessary delay.
“The most important thing is that passengers’ rights to ticket refunds must be guaranteed by the airlines so they do not have to wait needlessly. Reopening will only occur once we can fully guarantee safe atmospheric conditions,” he stressed.
To relieve stranded passenger volumes, the Transportation Ministry is opening operational options to divert scheduled flights to alternative hubs outside the ash plume, including Kertajati, Semarang, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta airports.
The ministry appealed to prospective travelers to refrain from coming to affected airport terminals during the grounding period and to monitor flight status updates through official airline channels.
Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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