TANGERANG, Indonesia, Sept 8 (Reuters): Indonesia reopened its main airport in Jakarta and four others that had been closed due to volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau, although fresh eruptions on Tuesday raised the risk of further disruption.

Ash from Anak Krakatau, which sits halfway between Java and Sumatra islands, has blanketed Jakarta and some surrounding areas since its initial eruption late on Friday. It led to the closure of eight airports for safety reasons, with more than 340,000 travellers impacted.

Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta's main airport, ⁠resumed operations on Tuesday after wind blew the ash away, Transport Minister Dudy Purwagandhi said in a statement, adding that authorities would check the airworthiness of 178 planes that were grounded there during the closure.

"Perhaps it'll take some little extra time to prepare the planes," Dudy said.

Traveller Alvin Pratama Putra, 31, who had arrived at Soekarno-Hatta on Sunday for a flight to South Korea for work, said his flight had now been rescheduled to Thursday.

"What can you do? It's nature. It's dangerous for the plane if you force it," he said, adding that he had been sleeping on a bench at the airport.

Four other airports, including a smaller one in Jakarta and another in the neighbouring city of Bandung, also ⁠reopened on Tuesday. Another airport had already reopened on Monday, while two remain closed.

Photo from Reuters