Indonesian search teams expanded their search on September 9 for five journalists and three boat crew members who lost contact near Mount Anak Krakatau two days earlier. The team found neither the speedboat nor any of the eight people that day, while Indonesian authorities said the volcano was still erupting at relatively low intensity. ANTARA's September 9 search report and the Indonesian National Police account put the last contact at 3:04 p.m. local time on September 7.

Volcanic ash also disrupted air travel around Jakarta and other Indonesian airports. Indonesia's transportation ministry said 2,961 flights and about 341,000 passengers were affected on September 7, a total that included cancellations, delays and diversions. Several airports reopened on September 8, but airlines still had to inspect aircraft and assess ash in the airspace before restoring individual services.

Eight people were aboard a speedboat that left Pagedongan Pier in Carita, Banten, on September 7 to cover Anak Krakatau's activity. Search teams later worked from the waters around Sebesi Island toward the Krakatau islands and Sertung Island. Indonesia's geological authorities kept the volcano at Level III, or Siaga, and told people to stay at least 3 kilometers from the active crater.

Update timeline

September 9: A joint search and rescue team checked the waters from Sebesi Island to the Krakatau area, including Krakatau Besar, Krakatau Kecil and Sertung Island. ANTARA reported no result from that day's search and said the visible smoke and ash plume had weakened.

September 8: Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation said Soekarno-Hatta, Halim Perdanakusuma and Husein Sastranegara airports resumed operations from 12:01 a.m. local time. Budiarto and Pondok Cabe followed at 2:25 a.m.; Radin Inten II and Muhammad Taufiq Kiemas remained under assessment. The ministry said reopening was conditional on aircraft inspections and checks of restricted airspace.

September 7: Seven airports remained closed until 11:59 p.m. local time as officials tracked shifting ash. Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation described the extension as a conservative safety measure.

What is known about the missing group

The speedboat carried media workers and local crew from Pagedongan Pier in Carita. The Indonesian National Police said it departed at about 2 p.m., made its last communication at about 2:42 p.m. and lost contact at 3:04 p.m. A joint team searched until 10:31 p.m. that night and resumed the operation the next day.

ANTARA identified the missing people as captain Warta, crew member Surakman, guide Heriyanto, and journalists M. Bagus Khoirunnas of ANTARA, Ari Basuki of Merdeka, Yudhis of iNews, Daus of Anadolu Agency and Donal, a freelance journalist. The September 9 search covered multiple islands and nearby waters, with rescuers also monitoring the volcano to protect personnel operating in the area.

Volcano status and aviation risk

Mount Anak Krakatau sits in Indonesia's Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra, west of Jakarta and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said a continuous eruptive episode began late on September 4 and ended early on September 6 after about 25 hours. Smaller, intermittent eruptions continued afterward.

The ministry's geological agency recorded eruption earthquakes, low-frequency earthquakes, hybrid or multiphase earthquakes and continuous tremor on September 6 and 7. Its bulletin kept the volcano at Level III and warned that further eruptions remained likely. The same notice listed hot volcanic rocks, ash and renewed lava flows among the hazards and set a 3-kilometer exclusion zone around the active crater.

How this plays out outside Taiwan

Travelers in different English-speaking markets should treat this as two separate checks: whether the flight is legally eligible for a refund or care, and whether the route is actually operating. A reopened airport is only one part of the decision. Ash forecasts, aircraft inspections, airspace restrictions, connecting airports and the airline's own waiver can all change the result.

For passengers whose itinerary departs from, arrives in or travels within the United States, the US Department of Transportation says a cancelled flight can trigger a refund when the passenger does not accept rebooking, a credit or another alternative. The rule applies regardless of why the airline cancelled the flight. It also covers a significant schedule change or delay when the passenger declines the changed itinerary. The US Department of Transportation's refund guidance explains that a refund normally goes back to the original form of payment; it does not promise that a passenger who accepts a replacement flight will also receive a ticket refund. A traveler should preserve the original itinerary, the cancellation notice, the offered alternatives and proof of any payment before choosing between rebooking and a refund.

For a journey covered by UK passenger-rights rules, the UK Civil Aviation Authority says a cancelled flight generally requires the airline to offer a refund or rerouting. Fixed compensation is a separate question. The CAA says events outside an airline's control, including weather conditions incompatible with safe operation, may qualify as extraordinary circumstances and may remove the right to fixed compensation, but the assessment depends on the facts of the individual flight. Its cancellation guidance is therefore more useful than assuming that every volcanic-ash cancellation has the same outcome. Passengers should first ask the airline to state the cause and the rerouting or refund options in writing, then keep receipts for reasonable care costs if the airline tells them to arrange accommodation or meals themselves.

Australian travelers have a different first stop. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade updated its Indonesia travel advice on September 6 to warn that ash from Anak Krakatau had affected major airports, that airports could close at short notice and that flights could be delayed or cancelled. The Smartraveller Indonesia page tells travelers to monitor their airline or travel provider and to read Indonesian government advice on current volcanic activity. That means a traveler departing Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or another Australian city should check the airline's flight-status page and the DFAT advisory before heading to the airport, rather than relying on an earlier booking confirmation. The advisory is a source of safety information, not a promise of a refund or compensation; those questions remain governed by the ticket contract, the operating carrier and any applicable Australian consumer or insurance terms.

Singapore is a useful example of why the operating carrier matters. Singapore Airlines said on September 8 that three Singapore-Jakarta flights were retimed, that it would mount eight relief flights subject to seat availability, and that affected customers would be progressively rebooked as services resumed. Its Anak Krakatau advisory directed agency and partner-airline customers back to the seller of the ticket. A Singapore-based traveler should therefore record the booking reference, identify the airline shown as the operating carrier, and check whether the ticket was bought directly, through an agent or as part of a connection. Those details determine who can rebook the affected segment and whether a separate onward ticket will be protected.

The practical rule is the same across these markets: check the airport, the airline and the government source separately. Do not infer that a flight is safe to board, a refund is owed or a boat trip is permitted merely because one airport has reopened. Indonesia's geological authorities publish volcano updates through their official channels, while airlines publish the flight-specific decision. Travelers should save screenshots with the date and local time, ask for a written explanation of any change, and avoid booking a replacement itinerary until they know whether the original carrier will reroute or refund the affected segment.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go to Anak Krakatau?
Indonesia's geological authorities kept the volcano at Level III and advised people to remain at least 3 kilometers from the active crater. Airport operations and access to the surrounding waters are separate questions, so visitors should check the latest Indonesian government and local search-and-rescue notices before arranging a boat trip.

Have the eight missing people been found?
Not according to the September 9 update used for this report. The joint team had not found the people or the speedboat after searching from Sebesi Island toward the Krakatau area and Sertung Island.

Were all affected flights cancelled?
No. Indonesia's figure of 2,961 affected flights included cancellations, delays and diversions. Some airports reopened on September 8, but passengers still needed to confirm each flight number and operating carrier.