Mount Anak Krakatau, about 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Jakarta, erupted on Saturday, spewing a fountain of lava and a plume of volcanic ash.

Eight airports halted operations over the weekend after ash was detected in their airspace, disrupting thousands of flights and leaving more than 270,000 passengers stranded, the Transportation Ministry reported Monday.

"These figures are the cumulative operational impact since 5 September 2026 and cover flights that have been cancelled, delayed, or diverted," the ministry said in a statement.

Italian tourist Michel Miegge was on holiday with his girlfriend and due to fly home in time for work on Tuesday, but their flight was cancelled.

"We don't have any news from the airline. We don't know if we stay another day in Jakarta or find another flight," the 32-year-old software engineer told AFP.

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"I don't think it's possible now. We found a nearby hotel, but we saw that many hotels were fully booked."

Another tourist, French painter Carol Odile, said she came with a group of friends to see Komodo dragons in Flores when she was notified that her flight was cancelled.

"We are disappointed, but our group is optimistic. We hope we can go to Flores Island very soon," the 60-year-old told AFP.

Airports closed 

At least four airports, including Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, extended their closure from Monday morning to 6:00 pm (1100 GMT), airport operator Angkasa Pura said in a social media post.

Halim Perdanakusuma, a smaller airport that caters to both civil and military flights, will also remain closed.

Another small airport in south Sumatra resumed operations on Monday morning, the transport ministry said.

More than 240 domestic and international flights were cancelled or delayed due to volcanic ash on Monday morning alone, Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport said, adding that nearly 30,000 passengers were affected.

The Transportation Ministry has prepared six alternative airports -- including airports in East Java, Central Java, and Yogyakarta -- as options for aircraft that were originally scheduled to land in Jakarta.

"We are encouraging airlines to use these airports to avoid passenger congestion, both for arrivals and departures," Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in a statement.

Airport operators would provide free bus services for passengers who wish to fly from other airports.

Dudy said that the government also relaxed rules for foreign passengers who may have overstayed as a result of flight cancellations.

The probability of an eruption remained high, the country's geology agency warned.

"The threat from an eruption comes from the ejection of incandescent rocks accompanied by heavy ashfall. Another potential hazard arises from lava flows if the eruption resumes and continues," agency head Lana Saria said.

Anak Krakatau, which means Child of Krakatau, sits in a strait that separates the islands of Java and Sumatra.

The volcano has been sporadically active since it emerged from the sea at the beginning of last century in the caldera that formed after the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau.

A 2018 tsunami triggered by a collapse of parts of Anak Krakatau killed 429 people and left thousands displaced.

Renowned volcano expert Surono told Reuters that it is dangerous to fly as sulphur and silica-laden ash could damage plane engines and visibility was low due to the ash spread, especially with a lack of rain.

"For Anak Krakatau, the recent eruption was unusual," he said. 

The volcano monitoring agency's website showed the most recent Anak Krakatau eruption occurred on Sunday at 8:23 p.m.

The agency warned on Monday that "the probability of further eruptions in the coming periods remains high."

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