Travel chaos hits Changi and Jakarta airports as volcanic ash grounds flights between the two hubs

Conflicting airline notices meant some travellers turned up at Changi Airport to find out that their flights were grounded, while passengers in Indonesia found themselves turned away after clearing immigration.

Affected passengers of the cancelled flights due to volcanic activity from Mount Krakatau queuing up at Singapore Airlines assistance counter at Changi Airport Departure Hall Terminal 2, Sep 6, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

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SINGAPORE/JAKARTA: Seven months pregnant and heading home to Indonesia to give birth, Ms Catrine Carina, 31, was preparing to board a flight from Changi Airport on Sunday (Sep 6) when she first heard that her plane was grounded.

Due to travel with her husband Weng Ming Xing, she had heard that flights were affected, but initially did not realise that theirs would be one of at least 19 Singapore Airlines (SIA) services cancelled due to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau about 180km away from Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport.

The Indonesian airport is the country's main hub for international and domestic flights. The suspension was initially in place until 5.30am in Jakarta (6.30am Singapore time), but was repeatedly extended.

Based on flight data from 1.30am to 1.30pm on Sunday, 301 flights were affected by cancellations, delays, diversions to other airports and other operational disruptions, according to the airport. Of these, 233 were domestic flights, 58 were international flights and 10 were cargo flights.

Operations are now slated to resume at 6.30pm Singapore time.

The cancellation has thrown a spanner in the works of Ms Carina's plans. She had intended to stay in Indonesia until next year after giving birth, while Mr Weng, 29, will fly back to Singapore after one week.

Ms Catrine Carina and Mr Weng Ming Xing are among the affected passengers of the cancelled flights due to volcanic activity from Mount Anak Krakatau on Sep 6, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

But without any certainty of a resumption of travel due to the volcanic ash, the couple’s plans hang in limbo for now.

Near an SIA assistance counter in Terminal 2, Ms Carina told CNA that she may need to get a new fit-to-fly medical note, depending on when the rescheduled flight departs.

Fit-to-fly notes for pregnant women usually need to be issued within seven to 10 days of departure.

“We were still thinking, a two-hour flight should be fine for me, suddenly this thing happened,” said Ms Carina.

Asked why they went to the airport despite news of the eruption, Mr Weng, who works as a chef, said they checked the SIA website and there was no indication that the flight would be cancelled.

He later realised the airline had sent them an SMS, but they missed it in their hurry to leave for the airport.

Several other travellers also told CNA they did not receive any information from the airline, or were wrongly assured by the SIA app.

Ms Tina Seng, 47, said she received a message from Scoot that said her flight was cancelled.

However, she did not know if it was a legitimate message because she had booked through SIA and the booking reference number in Scoot’s message was different from the one provided by SIA.

She checked the flight status on the SIA app, which said “confirmed”, so she headed to the airport with her husband and two daughters.

The family was going to Jakarta for the September holidays to visit Ms Seng’s family who live there.

SIA will help them to rebook their flights, but Ms Seng, who works in sales, is also concerned about whether they will get stuck in Jakarta if the situation worsens after they fly over.

“It will become another issue for us,” she said, given that school reopens on Sep 14. “We’re still thinking whether to continue, because we cannot predict what’s going to happen.”

Passengers affected by flight cancellations due to volcanic activity at Mount Anak Krakatau are seen at the Singapore Airlines assistance counter in the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 2 on Sep 6, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Alyssa Tan)

A Singaporean traveller who wanted to be known as Mr Ahmad said he was heading to Jakarta for a holiday, with his wife, children and in-laws set to join him on Tuesday.

Mr Ahmad, 37, said the family did not have any special plans in Jakarta apart from spending time together during the September holidays and before he starts his new job.

He had heard about the eruption affecting flights, but went to the airport because Singapore Airlines had not informed him that his flight had been cancelled.

The airline’s representatives at the airport told him that he could make a reimbursement claim for his transport to the airport as long as he kept the receipt.

SITUATION IN JAKARTA

Over at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, businessman Muhammad Akbar, 55, made it all the way to the gate before he found out his flight to Bangkok was cancelled.

“I was given my boarding pass. I have already passed immigration. I was already at my gate – then they told us our flight was cancelled and we were asked to go out again,” he said.

Passengers wait at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta on Sep 6, 2026. Airport authorities cancelled flights due to volcanic activity from Mount Anak Krakatau. (Photo: CNA/Wisnu Agung Prasetyo)

He said he had not received clarification on what was going on, or information on what to do.

“I understand there is a volcanic eruption but we need solutions,” he said.

Mr Akbar was going to Bangkok for a business trip, and will have to adjust his hotel, car and airport pick-up arrangements.

“But I can’t do that without any certainty,” he said.

Snaking queues formed at Soekarno-Hatta airport, as stranded passengers waited to reschedule cancelled flights, secure seats on alternative services or seek refunds.

Many were glued to their phones, including those who tried to call airline hotlines or reach their travel agents in search of alternatives.

Elsewhere in the terminal, those who had already spent hours waiting for resolution settled down wherever they could.

Some were slumped in chairs with weary faces, while others sat on the floor or leaned against their suitcases, watching departure screens and waiting for any indication of when they might finally be able to leave.

Ms Adria, a restaurant employee, described the situation as a “huge hassle”.

The 46-year-old’s flight to Amsterdam in the early hours of Sunday night was cancelled, and she was transferred to an Emirates flight, but was unsure whether it would depart.

“Everything had already been arranged. I’ve had to call work and also call the person who was supposed to pick me up,” she said.

Ms Adria, 46, says she was supposed to fly to Amsterdam in the early hours of Sunday before she was informed that her flight had been cancelled. (Photo: CNA/Nivell Rayda)

Her ticket can be replaced, but she was told that a hotel stay would not be covered because the volcanic eruption is a natural disaster.

“It’s frustrating, especially if this goes on for a long time, because it becomes very difficult,” she said. Ms Adria stayed at a friend’s house on Saturday night, but said she may return to her hometown in Temanggung if the situation drags on for any longer.

“I might reschedule and come back in a week or however long it takes for things to improve,” she said.

Another Indonesian who wanted to be known as Linda, 40, told CNA she went to the airport at 11am for a 1.30pm flight to Bali even though she knew the airport was closed, as she wanted to try her luck.

She works at a hospital in Denpasar.

“But with all the uncertainty, I eventually decided to ask for a refund instead,” she said.

She got her refund after queuing for two hours.

“It was a long wait, but I think it was worth it. Aside from the long queue, the staff was actually very helpful. Getting a refund gives me more flexibility to find another way back to Bali.”

She said she will now try to book a train to either Yogyakarta or Semarang in Central Java and see if she can get a flight to Bali from there.

“I think that’s better than staying here and waiting when there’s no certainty about when the airport will reopen.”

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由于航空公司发布的通知相互矛盾，一些旅客抵达樟宜机场后才发现他们的航班已被取消，而印尼的旅客在通过入境检查后却被拒绝登机。

2026年9月6日，受喀拉喀托火山活动影响，航班取消的乘客在樟宜机场2号航站楼出发大厅新加坡航空公司服务柜台前排队等候。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡/雅加达：31岁的卡特琳·卡琳娜女士怀孕七个月，准备回印度尼西亚生产。周日（9月6日），她正准备从樟宜机场登机，却突然得知她乘坐的飞机停飞了。

由于要和丈夫翁明兴一起旅行，她听说航班受到影响，但起初并没有意识到他们的航班会是因喀拉喀托之子火山爆发而取消的至少 19 个新加坡航空公司 (SIA) 航班之一，该火山距离雅加达苏加诺-哈达机场约 180 公里。

印尼机场是该国国际和国内航班的主要枢纽。最初的停飞令原定于雅加达时间早上5点30分（新加坡时间早上6点30分）结束，但之后多次延长。

根据机场方面提供的航班数据，周日凌晨1点30分至下午1点30分期间，共有301个航班受到取消、延误、改道至其他机场以及其他运营中断的影响。其中，国内航班233个，国际航班58个，货运航班10个。

运营预计将于新加坡时间下午6点30分恢复。

行程取消打乱了卡琳娜女士的计划。她原本打算在印尼待到明年生完孩子，而29岁的翁先生将在一周后飞回新加坡。

2026年9月6日，由于喀拉喀托火山爆发，航班取消，卡特琳·卡琳娜女士和翁明兴先生等乘客受到影响。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

但由于火山灰的影响，旅行何时恢复尚无定论，这对夫妇的计划目前仍处于悬而未决的状态。

在 2 号航站楼新加坡航空服务柜台附近，卡琳娜女士告诉亚洲新闻台，她可能需要重新开具一份适宜飞行的体检证明，具体取决于改签后的航班何时起飞。

孕妇适航证明通常需要在出发前 7 至 10 天内签发。

“我们当时还在想，两个小时的飞行对我来说应该没问题，结果突然就发生了这种事，”卡琳娜女士说。

当被问及为何在火山爆发的消息传出后仍前往机场时，身为厨师的翁先生表示，他们查看了新加坡航空公司的网站，并没有迹象表明航班会被取消。

他后来意识到航空公司给他们发了短信，但他们急着去机场时错过了。

另有几位旅客也告诉 CNA，他们没有收到航空公司的任何信息，或者被新加坡航空应用程序错误地告知了相关信息。

47岁的Tina Seng女士表示，她收到酷航发来的消息，称她的航班被取消了。

然而，她不知道这条信息是否真实有效，因为她是通过新加坡航空公司预订的，而酷航信息中的预订参考编号与新加坡航空公司提供的编号不同。

她在新加坡航空应用程序上查看了航班状态，显示“已确认”，于是她和丈夫以及两个女儿前往机场。

这家人原计划在九月假期前往雅加达探望住在那里的 Seng 女士的家人。

新加坡航空公司将帮助他们重新预订航班，但从事销售工作的 Seng 女士也担心，如果他们飞抵雅加达后情况恶化，他们是否会被困在雅加达。

“这将成为我们面临的另一个问题，”她说，因为学校将于9月14日重新开学。“我们仍在考虑是否继续，因为我们无法预测将会发生什么。”

2026年9月6日，受喀拉喀托火山活动影响的航班取消的乘客在樟宜机场2号航站楼出发大厅的新加坡航空公司服务柜台前等候。（图片：CNA/Alyssa Tan）

一位自称艾哈迈德先生的新加坡游客表示，他正前往雅加达度假，他的妻子、孩子和岳父母将于周二与他会合。

37岁的艾哈迈德先生表示，除了在九月假期和他开始新工作之前与家人共度时光外，他们一家在雅加达没有任何特别的计划。

他听说火山喷发影响了航班，但由于新加坡航空公司没有通知他航班取消，他还是去了机场。

航空公司在机场的代表告诉他，只要保留收据，他就可以报销前往机场的交通费用。

雅加达局势

在雅加达苏加诺-哈达国际机场，55岁的商人穆罕默德·阿克巴尔一路走到登机口，才发现他飞往曼谷的航班被取消了。

“我拿到了登机牌，也过了入境处，都到了登机口——然后他们告诉我们航班取消了，让我们再出去，”他说。

2026 年 9 月 6 日，乘客在雅加达苏加诺-哈达国际机场 3 号航站楼等候。由于阿纳克喀拉喀托火山的火山活动，机场当局取消了航班。 （照片：CNA/Wisnu Agung Prasetyo）

他说他还没有收到关于事情真相的解释，也没有收到关于该怎么做的信息。

“我知道火山正在喷发，但我们需要解决方案，”他说。

阿克巴先生原计划前往曼谷出差，他将不得不调整酒店、租车和机场接机安排。

“但如果没有确定性，我无法做到这一点，”他说。

苏加诺-哈达机场排起了长龙，滞留的乘客们等待着重新安排取消的航班、预订其他航班的座位或申请退款。

许多人都紧盯着手机，包括那些试图拨打航空公司热线或联系旅行社寻求替代方案的人。

在航站楼的其他地方，那些已经等待了几个小时才得到答复的人们，都找了个地方坐了下来。

有些人面带疲惫地瘫坐在椅子上，而另一些人则坐在地板上或倚靠在行李箱上，盯着出发屏幕，等待着何时才能最终离开的任何迹象。

餐厅员工阿德里亚女士将这种情况描述为“非常麻烦”。

这位 46 岁的女士原定于周日凌晨飞往阿姆斯特丹的航班被取消，她被安排乘坐阿联酋航空的航班，但不确定该航班是否会起飞。

“一切都已经安排好了。我不得不给单位打电话，还要给原本应该来接我的人打电话，”她说。

46岁的阿德里亚女士表示，她原定于周日凌晨飞往阿姆斯特丹，但后来被告知航班已被取消。（图片：CNA/Nivell Rayda）

她的机票可以补办，但她被告知酒店住宿费用不在报销范围内，因为火山爆发属于自然灾害。

“这很令人沮丧，尤其是如果这种情况持续下去，就会变得非常困难，”她说。阿德里亚女士周六晚上住在朋友家，但她说如果情况继续恶化，她可能会返回位于淡满贡的家乡。

“我可能会重新安排时间，一周后或者等情况好转后再回来，”她说。

另一位化名琳达的40岁印尼女子告诉亚洲新闻台，尽管她知道机场已经关闭，但她还是在上午11点去了机场，准备搭乘下午1点30分飞往巴厘岛的航班，因为她想碰碰运气。

她在登巴萨的一家医院工作。

“但由于种种不确定因素，我最终决定要求退款，”她说。

她排了两个小时的队才拿到退款。

“虽然等了很久，但我觉得很值得。除了排队时间长之外，工作人员都非常乐于助人。拿到退款后，我可以更灵活地安排其他返回巴厘岛的行程。”

她说她现在将尝试预订前往中爪哇省日惹或三宝垄的火车票，看看能否从那里搭乘飞机前往巴厘岛。

“我认为这比待在这里等待要好，因为什么时候才能重新开放还无法确定。”

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