Story perspectives

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport Reopens After Volcanic Ash Closures

9/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi announced Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport will reopen after volcanic ash closures.
Eight airports, including Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma, were closed, halting nearly 3,000 flights and affecting about 341,000 passengers.
China Airlines, EVA Airways and Singapore Airlines cancelled multiple Jakarta-Taipei and Jakarta-Singapore flights.
Schools in Jakarta, West Java, Banten and Lampung shifted to remote learning.

History

Historical Context

The 2010 eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano forced European airspace to close, grounding thousands of flights and costing airlines billions of euros. The Icelandic Meteorological Office reported ash clouds reaching 9 km altitude, prompting the European Union to suspend 100,000 flights and stranding roughly 10 million passengers. Similarly, Indonesia’s Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi ordered Soekarno-Hatta Airport to reopen after ash from Mount Semeru halted airports, canceling 3,000 flights and affecting 341,000 passengers. These repeated disruptions underscore the need for regional ash-monitoring protocols and resilient airport infrastructure to safeguard Southeast Asian travel networks.

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Story summary

Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi announced Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta Airport will reopen after volcanic ash closures.
Eight airports, including Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma, were closed, halting nearly 3,000 flights and affecting about 341,000 passengers.
China Airlines, EVA Airways and Singapore Airlines cancelled multiple Jakarta-Taipei and Jakarta-Singapore flights.
Schools in Jakarta, West Java, Banten and Lampung shifted to remote learning.

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