Volcanic ash drifting from Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel across Asia, with 2,927 flight delays and 584 cancellations recorded at major hubs including Delhi and Mumbai.
Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded 177 delays and 4 cancellations, while Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport reported 245 delays and 3 cancellations.
Among Indian carriers, IndiGo logged 258 delayed flights and 9 cancellations, while Air India recorded 114 delays and 2 cancellations, according to tracking data reported on Tuesday.
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport was the hardest hit by volume, with 394 delayed flights, while Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport recorded the most cancellations at 207.
The disruption stems from an ongoing eruption at Mount Anak Krakatau that began on September 4, which has kept the volcano at Alert Level III with airports reopening in phases.
Mount Anak Krakatau, in Indonesia’s Sunda Strait, began erupting on September 4, triggering a five-day aviation shutdown that closed eight Indonesian airports and stranded more than 270,000 passengers.
Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport recorded the highest number of cancellations in the region, with 207 flights called off as ash plumes drifted over the airspace.
Tokyo’s Haneda Airport recorded the highest delay count of any single airport, with 394 delayed flights as congestion rippled across connecting hubs.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport also reported disruption, logging 178 delays and 8 cancellations as the ash cloud affected regional air corridors.
As of September 7, Indonesian volcanological authorities kept Anak Krakatau at Alert Level III, warning that the risk of further eruptions remained high and that airports were reopening in phases rather than all at once.
Etihad Airways and SpiceJet were among the international and domestic carriers reporting delays on services to and from Delhi and Mumbai during the disruption.
Volcanic ash poses a direct safety hazard to jet engines, which is why aviation authorities impose ground restrictions and altitude diversions rather than allowing aircraft to fly through affected airspace.
Interior of Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
