SCI: Krakatau Ash Halts Flights, Endangers Trade Flow

September 7, 2026 | 10:32 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Supply Chain Indonesia (SCI) has urged the government to mitigate flight safety risks and safeguard national logistics flow amid the ongoing eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau.

Supply Chain Indonesia CEO Setijadi stated that drifting volcanic ash threatens to trigger airspace closures, flight cancellations, reroutings, schedule shifts, and cargo backlogs.

"As a result, production and trade activities are affected, especially for networks connected to Soekarno–Hatta Airport, which serves as the main gateway for delivering high-value and time-sensitive goods," Setijadi said in a written statement on Monday, September 7, 2026.

The value of non-oil and gas exports through Soekarno-Hatta Airport reached US$20.77 billion in 2025. Setijadi mentioned that the indicative value of the gross trade flow amounted to US$84.03 million per day. Meanwhile, import volume reached 174,900 tons per year, or an average of 479 tons per day, based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) and the Ministry of Trade's Trade Single Data.

In his analysis, Setijadi calculated that an eight-hour flight disruption could potentially delay import-export flows through Soekarno-Hatta Airport by around US$28 million. This figure includes an export value of US$9.04 million and an import value of US$18.97 million, "including nearly 160 million tons of goods," he said.

"These calculations only cover international trade through Soekarno-Hatta, excluding domestic deliveries, and are not direct loss estimates," Setijadi said.

Therefore, Setijadi urged the government to establish cross-agency disaster logistics protocols to prevent airport halts from escalating into wider supply chain and industrial bottlenecks. Over the long term, businesses must develop continuity plans tailored to varying durations of operational disruption. This involves identifying alternative airports and transit modes, alongside securing standby capacity agreements with logistics providers.

"Importers must adjust safety stock levels for critical raw materials, while exporters should secure alternative warehousing and cold chain facilities," he said.

The Transportation Ministry maintained operational closures across seven airports affected by Mount Anak Krakatau's volcanic ash through Monday, September 7, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. WIB. The seven grounded facilities include Soekarno-Hatta Airport and Budiarto Airport in Banten, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta, Pondok Cabe Airport in Banten, Radin Inten II Airport and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas Airport in Lampung, and Husein Sastranegara Airport in West Java.

Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi stated that a total of 2,961 flights have been disrupted by airport schedule adjustments stemming from the ash plume. He specified that the disruptions affected 2,339 domestic flights and 622 international routes. Recorded passenger disruptions reached 341,000 travelers.

"These impacts include flight cancellations, delays, and reroutings," he said in a written statement on Monday, September 7, 2026.

According to Dudy, paper tests conducted at several affected airports yielded negative findings for volcanic ash. However, resuming flight operations remains contingent on official clearance from the Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) in Darwin. He added that extended closures provide airport operators and airlines necessary preparation time to safely resume service.

Read: Govt Waives Overstay Fees for Foreigners Affected by Anak Krakatau Eruption

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