KUALA LUMPUR – Massive ash clouds spewing from Mount Anak Krakatau have thrown regional flight schedules into disarray, forcing AirAsia to suspend and adjust selected operations along flight paths over the Sunda Strait.
AirAsia confirmed it has notified affected passengers and is working to rebook travelers onto the next available flights once conditions clear.
The airline warned that the situation remains fluid and urged all passengers flying to and from the region to check their latest flight status online before heading to the airport. Operations will resume as soon as volcanic activity subsides and flight corridors are officially cleared.
The eruption taps into a deeply destructive geological legacy. Anak Krakatau—meaning “Child of Krakatoa”—emerged in the late 1920s from the caldera left behind by the cataclysmic 1883 Krakatoa explosion.
That historic blast destroyed over 70% of the original island, triggered colossal tsunamis that claimed more than 36,000 lives, and sent shockwaves heard nearly 5,000 kilometers away.
The peak remains one of the world’s most unstable volcanic structures. In December 2018, a severe eruption caused a massive underwater landslide and flank collapse that reduced two-thirds of the volcano’s height and generated a deadly tsunami in the Sunda Strait, leaving over 430 people dead.
Because microscopic volcanic ash poses an extreme hazard to aircraft engines and electrical systems, aviation authorities and regional carriers are keeping a tight watch on the restless peak until normal operations can safely resume. – September 6, 2026