Indonesia’s main airport and three others postponed reopening on Monday after halting operations following a volcanic eruption that left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded.
Eight airports halted operations over the weekend after ash was detected in their airspace, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving more than 270,000 passengers stranded, the transport ministry reported Monday. At least four airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, extended their closure from Monday morning to 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), airport operator Angkasa Pura said in a social media post. More than 240 domestic and international flights were cancelled or delayed due to volcanic ash on Monday morning alone, Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport said, adding that nearly 30,000 passengers were affected.
“These figures are the cumulative operational impact since 5 September 2026 and cover flights that have been cancelled, delayed, or diverted,” the ministry said in a statement. Another tourist, French painter Carol Odile, said she came with a group of friends to see Komodo dragons in Flores when she was notified that her flight was cancelled. “We are encouraging airlines to use these airports to avoid passenger congestion, both for arrivals and departures,” Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in a statement.
Another small airport in south Sumatra resumed operations on Monday morning, the transport ministry said.
Dudy said that the Indonesian government also relaxed rules for foreign passengers who may have overstayed as a result of flight cancellations.
