September 7, 2026 | 04:27 pm
Batik Air passengers line up at a service counter following the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, September 6, 2026. Multiple flights were canceled after Mount Anak Krakatau erupted and spewed volcanic ash across the region. Tempo/Nita Dian
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Hundreds of air passengers continued to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Monday, September 7, 2026, as the airport remained closed for a second day due to volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau.Passengers were seen at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, with many waiting in the terminal lobbies with their luggage. Others gathered at airline counters outside the terminals to seek information about their flights.Some passengers were queuing to request ticket refunds or reschedule their flights, while others were still hoping that flights would resume.“I’m still hoping there will be another flight,” said Suryana, a passenger traveling to Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi.The 40-year-old had been scheduled to fly to Kendari at 2 p.m. Monday after arriving at Soekarno-Hatta at 11 p.m. Sunday. Her flight was canceled, but she stayed at the airport in the hope that another flight would operate.She eventually rescheduled her flight.According to the airport’s flight schedule for Monday, September 7, a total of 624 flights were planned, comprising 461 domestic flights, 156 international flights and seven cargo flights. The airport was scheduled to serve 75,236 passengers.However, none of the flights had been confirmed to depart as the airport remained temporarily closed. The closure had been extended until 6 p.m. local time because testing continued to detect volcanic ash exposure, said Yudistiawan, assistant deputy for communications and legal affairs at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport branch.Speaking to Tempo at Terminal 1B on Monday, Yudistiawan said the number of passengers arriving at the airport had fallen significantly compared with the previous day.He attributed the decline to airlines informing passengers about the disruption and advising them not to travel to the airport until further notice.“We have informed the prospective passengers directly,” Yudistiawan said.He advised passengers to remain at home or at their current locations and monitor official updates from the airport or their airlines before heading to Soekarno-Hatta.Free Bus Services for Stranded PassengersFor passengers who had already arrived at the airport and still needed to continue their journeys, Angkasa Pura Indonesia, also known as InJourney Airports, provided free bus services to several cities.The buses were bound for Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang and Surabaya, with departures scheduled for 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. local time.Passengers must show a confirmed flight ticket to use the service, Yudistiawan said.The designated pickup points are at the post in Terminal 1C, the departure area of Terminal 2E, and Gate 3 in the Terminal 3 departure area.The airport operator is also providing free meals and access to the Employee Lounge in Terminal 3, which has 60 beds, for passengers stranded by the disruption.
