Thousands of travelers remain stranded in Indonesia as the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano has led to extended airport closures. Authorities estimate that 270,000 passengers have been affected by the disruptions.
Snaking queues formed at departure halls in Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport as passengers sought refunds and updates on when flights would resume. One Malaysian couple, who had planned to fly home to Kuala Lumpur on Monday after a week in Bali, were told the next available flight was not until September 11, leaving them stranded for an additional five days with limited funds.
"We thought we would just sleep at the airport for a few hours and then take the morning flight home," said Amir Hamzah, 29. "We never thought we would end up being stuck here for days."
Another traveler, Suhardi, 58, was scheduled to travel from Jakarta to Lampung for work. "This is nature, after all. So I have to accept it, because when it comes to nature, there's no choice. Now I'm just waiting for the next update from the airline," he told Reuters.
Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, began its most recent eruption late Friday. Volcanic ash has reached altitudes of up to 6,000 meters (approximately 19,700 feet) on the Java side and 15,000 meters (approximately 49,200 feet) on the Sumatra side, according to the meteorological agency BMKG. The Indonesian Geological Agency has warned that the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high.
Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that airport closures would continue indefinitely due to the dynamic weather conditions and the unpredictable spread of ash. Authorities have been conducting tests every 30 minutes to monitor the ash spread. Ships passing through the Sunda Strait have been prohibited from entering a 3-kilometer (approximately 1.86 mile) exclusion zone around the active crater. No tsunami warning has been issued in connection with the recent volcanic activity.