Emirates cancels Jakarta flight, Etihad delays services after volcanic ash closure
Passengers were urged to check flight status and update contact details before they travel
Dubai: Emirates has cancelled one Dubai-Jakarta flight and delayed others, while Etihad Airways has also delayed services between Abu Dhabi and the Indonesian capital after volcanic ash forced the temporary closure of Jakarta’s main international airport.
Emirates said disruptions affected flights between Dubai and Jakarta on September 5 and 6 following the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.
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Its latest advisory listed EK356 from Dubai to Jakarta on September 6 as cancelled, while EK359 from Jakarta to Dubai on September 5 and EK358 from Dubai to Jakarta on September 6 were delayed.
The Dubai carrier said it was monitoring developments closely and would issue further updates when more information became available.
Passengers were advised to check the latest status of their flights before travelling to the airport and to ensure their contact details were up to date through the airline’s “Manage Your Booking” service so they could receive notifications.
Emirates apologised for the disruption and stressed that the safety of passengers and crew remained its highest priority.
Etihad services delayed
Etihad Airways was also affected by the disruption.
The airline said EY472 from Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi to Jakarta on September 6 was delayed because of the airport closure following the volcanic eruption at Krakatau.
The return flight, EY473 from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi on September 7, was subsequently delayed.
Etihad apologised to passengers and said its teams were working to assist customers affected by the disruption.
Volcanic ash closes Jakarta airport
Indonesian authorities temporarily suspended operations at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Sunday after ash from Anak Krakatau reached airspace surrounding the country’s busiest airport.
The eruption disrupted 301 flights, including 58 international services, according to Reuters. Several airports were affected after volcanic ash rose high above Sumatra and spread towards Java.
The disruption affected travel plans for thousands of passengers, with international carriers forced to cancel, delay or reroute services while authorities assessed conditions.
Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, is one of Indonesia’s most closely watched volcanoes.
