Paper Test Results at Soekarno-Hatta and Halim Airports Show No Volcanic Ash

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), together with the Ministry of Transport, has announced that paper tests for volcanic ash at four airports temporarily closed due to the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau have returned negative results.

This was disclosed during a limited meeting on disaster management with President Prabowo Subianto at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday (7/9/2026).

“There are four airports where the paper test observations show negative results,” said BMKG Head Teuku Faisal Fathani during his presentation.

The four airports are Soekarno-Hatta (Soetta), Halim Perdanakusuma, Husein Sastranegara and Budiarto airports.

“For Soekarno-Hatta, the paper test has shown negative results four times in a row, meaning no volcanic ash has been detected,” he said.

The BMKG results were conveyed to the Ministry of Transport to determine the reopening of the four airports. The BMKG assessed that the airports could be reopened in stages.

“We are continuously communicating with the VAAC in Darwin so that the Sigmet can be restored, and then the Minister of Transport will explain that the airport authorities will determine the limited reopening of the airports that have been monitored as clean of volcanic ash four times in a row,” he said.

Minister of Transport Dudy Purwagandhi then explained that, as of this morning, the Ministry had reopened Atung Bungsu Pagar Alam Airport, as evaluations showed it was no longer affected by volcanic ash.

According to Dudy, the Ministry continues to conduct paper tests to determine the extent to which volcanic ash is still detected on surfaces. As an example, testing at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang Regency, Banten Province, has been carried out four times, all with negative results.

“However, we are not opening it immediately, because we want to be absolutely certain, given that yesterday the wind shifted — it was initially moving eastwards, then from the west, and then moved eastwards again,” said Dudy.

“We want to be sure, Mr President, before we reopen Soekarno-Hatta or the airports around Mount Anak Krakatau,” he continued.

As an alternative to the closure of the seven airports, Dudy said the Ministry has prepared several alternative airports: Kertajati Airport in West Java, Achmad Yani Airport in Central Java, and Djuanda Airport in East Java.