In international transport, air freight is often selected when delivery time becomes a critical factor.

However, this speed relies on a complex network involving aircraft, airports, cargo capacity, ground operations, air traffic control, customs procedures and final-mile delivery.

When one of these links is disrupted, a shipment planned to arrive within a few days can quickly face delays.

The question is therefore not only:

Why is my air freight shipment delayed?

Companies must also ask:

How long can the disruption last, which shipments are actually affected and what alternatives can be implemented?

The Anak Krakatau eruption in Indonesia in September 2026 provides a concrete example of this situation. Volcanic ash led to the temporary closure of several airports, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Jakarta’s main international gateway.

On September 6, eight Indonesian airports had suspended operations and nearly 964 flights were affected at Soekarno-Hatta alone.

Beyond the event itself, this situation highlights how an air freight disruption can quickly impact an international supply chain.

What is an air freight disruption?

An air freight disruption is an event that prevents a shipment from following its originally planned transport schedule.

It does not necessarily mean that an airport is completely closed.

A disruption can take different forms:

• flight cancellations;
• shipment rollovers to a later flight;
• reduced available cargo capacity;
• route changes;
• temporary airspace restrictions;
• congestion in cargo handling operations.

For companies, the consequence is often the same:

the delivery time confirmed at booking is no longer guaranteed.

However, not all disruptions have the same level of impact.

A delay of a few hours for a non-critical shipment is very different from a delay affecting a production line, a pharmaceutical product or a time-sensitive customer delivery.

What are the main causes of air freight disruptions?

An air freight disruption can originate from the airport, the airline, regulatory authorities or an external event affecting transport operations.

Understanding the cause is essential because each type of disruption requires a different response.

Weather-related disruptions

Severe weather conditions can significantly affect air transport operations.

Thunderstorms, heavy snowfall, strong winds, fog or extreme weather events can slow down aircraft movements or temporarily interrupt airport operations.

The impact depends on several factors:

• the intensity and duration of the event;
• the airport’s ability to maintain operations;
• available aircraft capacity after the disruption;
• the possibility of rerouting flights.

Even when weather conditions improve quickly, the consequences may continue for several hours or days due to accumulated delays and aircraft repositioning.

Natural events: volcanic eruptions and ash clouds

Volcanic eruptions represent a specific risk for aviation.

Unlike regular weather conditions, volcanic ash can travel over long distances and affect areas far away from the eruption itself.

The fine particles contained in volcanic ash can create risks for aircraft engines, navigation systems and visibility conditions.

This is why aviation authorities may decide to suspend flights even when airport infrastructure has not suffered any physical damage.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has developed the International Airways Volcano Watch (IAVW) system to coordinate information related to volcanic eruptions and ash clouds that may affect international flight routes.

The objective is to provide airlines and aviation authorities with the information required to assess risks and make operational decisions.

Operational constraints

Not every air freight disruption is caused by an exceptional event.

Operational issues can also significantly affect cargo movements.

Examples include:

• airport congestion;
• aircraft technical issues;
• changes in airline schedules;
• limited cargo capacity;
• delays in ground handling operations;
• lack of available connections.

In air freight, available capacity is a key factor.

A flight may technically operate, but the available space for cargo may already be fully allocated.

As a result, a shipment can still experience delays even without a complete flight cancellation.

Geopolitical and regulatory restrictions

Changes in regulations, airspace restrictions or geopolitical events can force airlines to modify their routes.

These situations may lead to:

• longer flight paths;
• additional transit times;
• changes of hub;
• reduced available capacity;
• alternative transport solutions.

For companies, the impact is not limited to the flight itself.

A route modification can affect the entire logistics chain, including pickup schedules, customs processes and final delivery planning.

What is the current activity level of Anak Krakatau volcano?

The Anak Krakatau volcano is located in the Sunda Strait, between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia.

At the beginning of September 2026, the volcano experienced a significant period of activity.

A continuous eruptive phase started on September 4 at 11:07 PM and ended on September 6 at 12:04 AM, representing approximately 25 hours of continuous volcanic activity.

However, the end of this eruptive episode does not mean that the volcano has become inactive.

As of September 8, 2026, Anak Krakatau remains classified at Level III – Siaga (Alert) by Indonesian volcanic authorities.

After the end of the continuous eruption phase, additional Strombolian eruptions were still recorded.

Monitoring data also showed that seismic activity continued.

Authorities therefore maintained increased surveillance and a 3-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcanic activity centre.

This monitoring is particularly important for air transport because the impact of a volcanic event does not only depend on the intensity of the eruption.

Wind direction and ash cloud dispersion determine which flight routes and airports may be affected.

This is exactly what happened during the Anak Krakatau episode, which created a significant air freight disruption around Jakarta.

What impact did the Anak Krakatau eruption have on air traffic?

The consequences appeared quickly.

Volcanic ash from the eruption reached the operating environment of several airports in Indonesia.

During the night of September 5 to 6, monitoring confirmed the presence of volcanic ash around Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK), Jakarta’s main international airport.

On September 6, 2026, Indonesian authorities temporarily suspended airport operations.

This decision was not linked to damage to airport facilities.

It was taken because volcanic ash represents a safety risk for aircraft operations.

Soekarno-Hatta was not the only airport affected.

A total of eight Indonesian airports temporarily suspended operations during the event.

In Jakarta alone, successive disruptions affected 964 flights on September 6, according to information released by Indonesian transport authorities.

The consequences extended beyond domestic routes.

International connections involving destinations such as:

• Singapore;
• Kuala Lumpur;
• Hong Kong;
• Sydney;
• Seoul;
• Doha;
• Amsterdam;

were cancelled, delayed or rescheduled.

Why does volcanic ash cause such significant disruption to air transport?

Volcanic ash is very different from an ordinary cloud.

It contains fine particles of rock and volcanic material that can pose a serious risk to aircraft.

These particles can affect aircraft engines, certain onboard systems and visibility.

For this reason, authorities may suspend operations even when the airport itself has suffered no physical damage.

At Soekarno-Hatta, Indonesian authorities carried out monitoring and tests to detect the presence of volcanic ash before deciding whether operations could safely resume.

In other words:

an airport can be fully operational on the ground while still being unable to safely accommodate flights.

The Anak Krakatau case also highlights the importance of monitoring ash cloud dispersion.

A change in wind direction can improve conditions at one airport while increasing the risk in another area.

What happens to air freight when a flight is cancelled?

Cargo booked on a cancelled flight is not automatically transferred to the next available flight.

This is one of the most important points to understand during an air freight disruption.

When an airline resumes operations, it must accommodate delayed cargo alongside shipments that were already booked on upcoming flights.

Several factors determine what happens next:

• available capacity on subsequent flights;
• shipment priority;
• destination;
• type of goods;
• alternative services offered by other airlines;
• capacity available at other airports or hubs.

As a result, a temporary airport closure can have consequences that last significantly longer than the initial disruption.

This is particularly important for air freight. The reopening of an airport means that operations can resume, but it does not guarantee that a shipment will immediately secure confirmed capacity on the next flight.

Why does reopening an airport not immediately bring delays to an end?

The Anak Krakatau episode provides a clear example.

By September 8, 2026, Soekarno-Hatta had reopened and airlines were gradually resuming operations.

However, reopening an airport does not mean that the entire network immediately returns to its original schedule.

Following a major disruption, airlines may need to manage delayed flights, reposition aircraft, reorganise rotations and gradually clear the backlog accumulated during the closure.

In addition, Anak Krakatau remained under close monitoring. Further eruptions were recorded on September 8, while the potential impact on air traffic continued to depend on the direction and dispersion of volcanic ash.

The recovery process should therefore be considered in several stages:

Situation	Logistics impact
Airport closed	Shipments cannot depart on affected flights
Airport reopened	Operations can gradually resume
Capacity remains constrained	Some cargo may remain on hold
Flight schedules reorganised	Initial ETAs may change
Backlog cleared	Gradual return to normal operating conditions

For a shipper, the key question is therefore not simply:

“Is the airport open?”

The more relevant question is:

“Does my shipment have confirmed capacity and a reliable updated ETA?”

What impact can an air freight disruption have on a company?

The impact primarily depends on the role of the shipment within the company’s operations.

Production delays

A relatively low-value component can have significant operational importance.

If the part is essential to a machine or a specific stage of production, a delay can interrupt operations whose financial impact far exceeds the value of the shipment itself.

In a situation such as the disruption experienced in Indonesia, a company waiting for an urgent component routed through Jakarta must quickly determine whether it can wait for normal operations to resume or whether an alternative solution is required.

Customer deliveries may be affected

A contractual delivery date, product launch or priority customer order can be directly affected by an air freight disruption.

At that point, a logistics delay becomes a commercial issue.

Companies should therefore avoid communicating a new delivery date too quickly if air freight capacity has not yet been confirmed.

Additional costs may arise

Changing airlines, using another airport or arranging an alternative pre-carriage or onward transport solution may reduce the delay.

However, these alternatives come at a cost.

The additional logistics cost should therefore be compared with the actual financial and operational impact of waiting.

ETA visibility may decrease

When conditions are changing rapidly, providing an immediate revised delivery date can be risky.

A new ETA only becomes sufficiently reliable once capacity and the revised routing have been confirmed.

Which types of cargo are most sensitive to air freight disruptions?

The consequences are particularly significant for goods whose value or operational importance is time-sensitive.

This includes:

• critical industrial parts;
• certain electronic components;
• pharmaceutical and temperature-sensitive products;
• perishable goods;
• samples required for approval or production validation;
• orders linked to a specific commercial deadline.

Shipment priority should therefore not be determined solely by the monetary value of the goods.

A component worth only a few hundred euros may be more urgent than a much more expensive piece of equipment if it is essential to keeping a production line running.

When capacity is constrained, this distinction becomes essential:

not every delayed shipment requires the same level of urgency or justifies the same rerouting cost.

What should you do when an air freight shipment is disrupted?

The first step is to establish the exact status of the shipment.

Is it still at the shipper’s premises? Has it already reached the cargo terminal? Has the flight been cancelled or simply postponed?

This information determines which alternatives are realistically available.

The next step is to assess the actual impact of the delay.

A shipment may be critical, important but manageable, or simply able to wait.

Finally, the available alternatives should be compared.

Depending on the route and the circumstances, it may be possible to consider another flight, another airline, another hub or a different combination of transport modes.

However, rerouting should not be automatic.

Changing the route may require additional road transport, affect customs procedures, increase costs or simply move the problem to another congested airport.

The objective is therefore not to change the transport plan at any cost.

It is to determine whether the alternative will actually save time once the entire door-to-door journey is taken into account.

How can you prevent an air freight disruption from becoming a logistics crisis?

External disruptions cannot always be avoided.

However, their consequences can be limited.

The difference often lies in what happens before the disruption occurs: visibility over shipments, identification of critical cargo, alternative solutions and effective communication.

The Anak Krakatau episode illustrates this clearly.

Companies using air routes through Indonesia could obviously not prevent the volcanic eruption.

However, when a major hub such as Jakarta becomes temporarily unavailable, immediately identifying the affected shipments and their level of priority makes it possible to determine which ones genuinely require an alternative solution.

For particularly sensitive flows, companies can also identify key hubs, maximum acceptable transit times and potential alternatives in advance.

This preparation helps reduce the time required to make decisions when operations are disrupted.

Anticipation does not prevent disruption. It reduces the time needed to make the right decision.

Nexline’s analysis

An air freight disruption should not be assessed solely based on the status of a flight.

The entire logistics flow needs to be considered.

Where is the cargo currently located? How urgent is the shipment? What capacity remains available? What would be the impact of an additional day of delay? Is there an alternative route that would genuinely be faster?

The Anak Krakatau case also demonstrates why caution is required when operations begin to resume.

On September 8, 2026, Soekarno-Hatta had reopened following the closures caused by volcanic ash. However, Anak Krakatau remained at Level III (Siaga), and further eruptions continued to be recorded.

Air transport conditions therefore need to be monitored beyond the initial announcement that an airport has reopened.

At Nexline, our approach has two objectives.

First, we monitor operational developments to quickly identify shipments that may be affected.

Second, we compare the available solutions based on the nature of the cargo, time constraints, costs and the actual risk to the company’s operations.

Managing a logistics disruption effectively does not necessarily mean choosing the fastest or most expensive option.

It means selecting the alternative that best protects business continuity.

FAQ

Why is my air freight shipment delayed?

Air freight can be delayed by adverse weather conditions, airport closures, airspace restrictions, volcanic eruptions, operational issues, limited cargo capacity or congestion.

Identifying the cause of the disruption helps determine whether waiting for the next available flight is appropriate or whether an alternative solution should be considered.

What should I do if a cargo flight is cancelled?

First, confirm the location and current status of the shipment. Then check the next available cargo capacity.

Depending on the urgency, it may be more appropriate to consider another airline, another flight or an alternative airport rather than automatically waiting for the next scheduled service.

How long can an air freight disruption last?

There is no standard duration.

The initial event may last only a few hours, while its consequences can continue for longer if flights and cargo have accumulated during the disruption.

Therefore, reopening an airport does not necessarily mean that normal transit times will resume immediately.

Why can volcanic ash cause an airport to close?

Volcanic ash contains fine particles that can pose a risk to aircraft, particularly to engines and certain onboard systems.

Authorities may therefore suspend operations when volcanic ash is detected in an area affecting flight safety, even if the airport infrastructure itself remains fully operational.

What is the current activity level of Anak Krakatau?

As of September 8, 2026, Anak Krakatau remains at Level III – Siaga (Alert) according to Indonesian authorities.

The approximately 25-hour continuous eruptive episode ended on September 6. However, further Strombolian eruptions continued to be recorded.

The volcano therefore remains under close monitoring, and a 3-kilometre exclusion zone remains in place.

Is Anak Krakatau still active?

Yes. Anak Krakatau is an active volcano and continues to be monitored by the Indonesian authorities.

As of September 8, 2026, further eruptions had been recorded despite the end of the continuous eruptive phase observed a few days earlier.

Can air freight be rerouted through another airport during a disruption?

Yes, provided that an alternative airport has available capacity and the cargo can be transported there under suitable operational and customs conditions.

However, the actual time saved must be compared with the additional costs, customs requirements, road transport and final delivery constraints.

Rerouting is only worthwhile if it improves the overall door-to-door solution.

Why is my shipment still delayed even though the airport has reopened?

An airport closure can create a backlog of flights and cargo.

Once operations resume, airlines need to reorganise their schedules and allocate available capacity progressively.

Therefore, an open airport does not automatically mean that a shipment can depart immediately.

How can companies anticipate air freight disruptions?

Companies can identify critical shipments, understand which hubs their supply chains depend on, prepare alternative routes and establish acceptable thresholds for additional delays and costs.

This preparation enables faster and more informed decisions when a disruption occurs.