Anak Krakatau eruption halts Jakarta airport; Jakarta–Bali flights cancelled
Volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau shut Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport for much of Sunday 6 September, affecting 301 flights. Bali’s airport stayed open but its Jakarta services were hit.
What happened
Anak Krakatau, the volcano in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, began erupting late on Friday 5 September 2026. By Sunday morning volcanic ash had reached Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, which suspended operations until 5:30 pm local time. Al Jazeera reported 301 flights affected, 58 of them international.
Husein Sastranegara airport in Bandung and Radin Inten II airport near Bandar Lampung were also suspended, and Semarang and Surabaya were prepared as alternate landing airports. Ash columns were reported at about 6,000 metres on the Java side and up to 15,000 metres on the Sumatra side. Indonesia’s disaster agency BNPB said there was no imminent tsunami risk, and the meteorological agency BMKG recorded two further eruptions on Sunday.
What it meant for Bali
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport itself stayed open. Airport management told the ANTARA news agency that overall operations and services remained normal, but flights to and from Jakarta were disrupted: five inbound Jakarta–Bali services were cancelled (TransNusa and Indonesia AirAsia) and twelve departures to Jakarta and Halim were cancelled or delayed, including Garuda Indonesia, Citilink and Pelita Air flights.
Singapore Airlines cancelled its Jakarta flights for the rest of Sunday, according to Al Jazeera.
What Indian travellers should do
Most Indian travellers reach Bali either nonstop or via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok rather than through Jakarta, and those routes were not the ones suspended. If your itinerary connects through Jakarta, or includes a domestic Garuda, Citilink or AirAsia leg to Bali, check the flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport. Volcanic ash disruption can recur for days after an eruption as the wind shifts, so build slack into any Java–Bali connection this week.
This is a developing situation; the figures above are as reported on 6 September and will change.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Bali airport cancels flights amid Anak Krakatau volcanic activity — ANTARA News, 06 September 2026
- Indonesia’s main airport suspends flights due to Anak Krakatoa eruption — Al Jazeera, 06 September 2026
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