Volcanic ash disrupts operations at Indonesian airports

'Supply chain reconfiguration is creating major opportunities' - LX Pantos CEO In an interview published in association with LX Pantos, president and CEO Yong Ho Lee ... ZIM: HAPAG DEAL UPDATEWTC: DOWN FWRD: BOTTOM FISHING KNIN: DOWNGRADEDXPO: PRELIMINARY UPDATEVW: RESTRUCTURING PLAN DETAILSVW: RESTRUCTURE UPDATEDSV: ANOTHER BAD STINT BUT ZIM: HAPAG DEAL UPDATEWTC: DOWN FWRD: BOTTOM FISHING KNIN: DOWNGRADEDXPO: PRELIMINARY UPDATEVW: RESTRUCTURING PLAN DETAILSVW: RESTRUCTURE UPDATEDSV: ANOTHER BAD STINT BUT The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau is disrupting Indonesia’s airfreight network, with forwarders warning customers of delays, flight cancellations, and potential capacity constraints. The disruption has centred on Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia’s principal international gateway, which was among nine airports forced to suspend operations over the weekend as ash from the volcano entered their airspace. More than 2,900 flights were cancelled, delayed, or diverted across the affected airports, according to Indonesian authorities. Soekarno-Hatta and four other airports have since reopened after ash was cleared, although aircraft inspections and operational recovery are still required. For airfreight operators, the disruption is significant, even though cargo flights represent only a fraction of the affected services. Only 10 cargo flights were among those cancelled, although many of the passenger flights had belly cargo. Market estimates put affected belly cargo volumes at around 2,000 tonnes. An LX Pantos’ spokesperson told The Loadstar the forwarder expected the backlog to be cleared this week. Soekarno-Hatta’s latest figures put its backlog at 461 domestic, 156 international, and seven cargo flights, and 3PLs have been advising customers to expect a slowdown in cargo handling, as airport reopenings will not immediately restore normal freight operations. French forwarder Logfret said the Jakarta disruption could affect particularly urgent, high-value, and time-sensitive shipments, and identified alternative Indonesian gateways, including Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo, Semarang, and Kertajati, as potential routing options, with some flights already being diverted to Kertajati. Logfret said: “Shippers should closely monitor flight status and cargo bookings, and consider alternative Indonesian gateways where operationally feasible. Time-critical shipments may require additional flexibility as airlines work through disrupted schedules and available capacity is redistributed.” Forwarders explained that cargo already held at terminals must be processed, aircraft and crews repositioned, and backlogged shipments fitted into limited available capacity. UK-based 3PL Atlantic Pacific Global Logistics said: “This could lead to slower recovery times, reduced short-term capacity, and missed onward connections.” For uninterrupted access, sign in or sign up to The Daily News, Premium or The Loadstar Enterprise Plan. Comment on this article