The powerful eruption of the famous volcano Anak Krakatau in Indonesia led to the emergency closure of eight key airports, halting air traffic in much of the western part of the country. To 7:03 Bulgarian time on September 7, 2026 the situation remains critical, with the country's Ministry of Transport announcing that a total of 1,558 flights have been delayed or completely canceled, affecting more than 170,000 passengers. Among the blocked airports is the country's largest international airport – “Soekarno-Hatta“ near the capital Jakarta.
Volcanic activity began intensively on Friday evening and continued with a series of new eruptions over the weekend. Huge clouds of ash and smoke rose to a record height from 50,000 feet (about 15,000 meters) in the atmosphere, forcing aviation authorities to immediately declare a red safety code due to zero visibility and danger to aircraft engines. Severe air pollution affected the provinces of Banten and Lampung, while in Jakarta, authorities urged citizens to wear masks outdoors and switched schools to remote learning.
Transport Minister Dudi Purwagandhi said in an official statement that due to dynamic weather conditions, it was still not possible to predict when airports would resume normal operations. To alleviate the situation, the government had prepared five alternative airports in ash-free regions and provided free ground transportation (buses and trains) for stranded passengers. According to the geological services, the volcano, located in the Sunda Strait, remains at the penultimate third alert level. Citizens and tourists are warned to strictly observe the 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the active crater.