Vietnamese Travelers Stranded for Days in Indonesia Due to Volcanic Eruption

The eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano in Indonesia has spread ash over Jakarta and surrounding areas, forcing the closure of seven local airports and causing approximately 2,300 flight delays, cancellations, and diversions, affecting over 270,000 passengers. Vietnamese travelers have been caught in this disruption, being stranded at airports and hotels for days. Thu Trang, a tourist from Hanoi who was visiting Indonesia after the September 2nd holiday, experienced repeated postponements of her flight to Hanoi, originally scheduled for 1:30 AM on September 6th. On the morning of September 6th, passengers boarded the plane only for it to turn back, forcing everyone to return to the airport. Subsequently, her flight was rescheduled four times: 9 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 9 PM on September 7th. Upon hearing that the airport would reopen at 12:40 AM on September 8th, Trang returned to the airport. However, by the scheduled departure time of 3:30 AM, airline staff were nowhere to be found. To her surprise, by 7 AM that morning, her flight was listed as departed on Flightradar24, despite receiving no notifications from the airline or her booking app. As of 11 AM on September 8th, Trang remained at the airport, awaiting a clear response from the airline. The three-day ordeal incurred an additional cost of approximately 4 million VND (around $160 USD) and significant fatigue from constant travel. "I'm very tired and want to go home," she said, expressing confusion over the inconsistent information from various parties. Duy Manh, another Hanoi tourist who had been traveling in Indonesia since August 28th, nearly faced a similar fate. His domestic flight from Surabaya to Jakarta on September 6th, and his international flight from Jakarta to Hanoi, were both canceled or rescheduled. Originally, he had spent about 4 million VND on these two flights. Due to an urgent matter in Vietnam and not having travel insurance, Manh decided to find an alternative route through a third country. On September 7th, he purchased a Surabaya to Singapore flight for 8.5 million VND. He then flew to Singapore's Changi Airport that afternoon and connected to Vietnam on September 8th. "Although the ticket was very expensive, I feel lucky to have made it back to Vietnam," he stated. Indonesia's Minister of Transportation, Dudy Purwagandhi, stated that it is difficult to determine the duration of airport closures and flight disruptions due to the volatile weather conditions. Meanwhile, volcanic experts in Indonesia have described the current eruption as an "unusual phenomenon." Strong winds and dry weather are causing the widespread dispersal of volcanic ash containing sulfur and silica, posing a potential hazard to aircraft engines. Vietjet Air announced on the morning of September 7th that it was adjusting the flight times for four flights that day due to the volcanic ash affecting Jakarta Airport's closure. By 5 PM, the airline announced the suspension of these four flights as the airport remained closed. Vietnam Airlines also adjusted its flight schedule for September 8th for flights to and from Jakarta.