Travelers in Indonesia are finally seeing relief as Jakarta’s main airport and several surrounding hubs have officially resumed flight operations early Tuesday. The reopening comes after days of intense disruption caused by the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, which sent plumes of volcanic ash into the sky and compromised airspace safety. While six of the eight impacted airports are now functional, the logistics of clearing the massive backlog remain a significant challenge for airlines trying to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of passengers who were stranded over the weekend.

The chaos began on Saturday when the volcano, located in the strait between Java and Sumatra, erupted, forcing authorities to ground nearly 3,000 flights. By Monday, the situation had affected over 340,000 travelers, leading to widespread cancellations and delays. Although the Ministry of Transport has successfully cleared most major airports—including Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Perdanakusuma—to resume service, two smaller facilities remain offline. As operations slowly return to normal, the focus is now shifting toward managing the ripple effects of the closure and ensuring that the thousands of displaced passengers reach their destinations safely.