JAKARTA — Indonesia reopened Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and four other airports on Tuesday after volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau cleared enough for flights to resume, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said. Ash from eruptions that began late Friday had forced the closure of eight airports and disrupted more than 340,000 travelers across nearly 3,000 flights.
Authorities said they would check the airworthiness of 178 planes grounded at Soekarno-Hatta during the closure. Four other airports, including a smaller Jakarta field and one in Bandung, also reopened Tuesday; two remained closed. The Indonesia National Air Carriers Association estimated airlines could lose up to 19 billion rupiah (about $1 million) a day from cancellations, diversions, and extra operating costs.
Anak Krakatau erupted three more times Tuesday morning. Geological agency head Lana Saria said the fresh blasts were smaller but could still disrupt flights depending on ash height and wind. Other Indonesian volcanoes, including Mount Ibu and Ili Lewotolok, also erupted Tuesday.
Anak Krakatau sits between Java and Sumatra in the Pacific Ring of Fire. It emerged from the caldera left by the catastrophic 1883 Krakatau eruption.
Sources: Reuters
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