JAKARTA, Sept 6: An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau sent volcanic ash soaring up to 50,000 feet over parts of Java and Sumatra on Sunday, disrupting air travel and affecting hundreds of flights.

The eruption also led to some school activities and fishing trips being cancelled as ash spread across nearby areas.

Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta suspended flight operations until 1.30 pm local time because of volcanic ash, Reuters reported. Airport operator Angkasa Pura said the suspension affected 301 flights, including 58 international services, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at Indonesia’s main airport.

The airport halt followed runway checks conducted between midnight and 1 am that confirmed dangerous volcanic ash accumulation. Air navigation authorities later extended the operational suspension to ensure runway safety.

London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight makes emergency landing at Bengaluru airport after technical snag

BENGALURU, Sept 6: A London-bound Virgin Atlantic flight made an “emergency landing” at Bengaluru airport on Sunday due to a technical snag.

The flight, carrying 270 passengers, was forced to make an "emergency landing" at the Kempegowda International Airport due to a technical glitch shortly after take-off, said sources at Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

As per reports, the flight took off from KIAB at around 8.20 am but reportedly developed a technical issue soon after departure, prompting the crew to circle the aircraft near Tumakuru for more than half an hour before returning to Bengaluru.

"All passengers on board are safe," sources at BIAL said, adding that the aircraft was brought back as a safety precaution and made an emergency landing.

A statement from Virgin Atlantic is awaited regarding the incident. Airport authorities are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the technical problem.

Air India terminates Phuket-Delhi pilot

MUMBAI, Sept 4: Air India said in a statement on Friday that it has terminated the pilot-in-command (PIC) of its August 4 Phuket-Delhi flight after the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude in cruise, injuring 20 passengers and 4 crew members.

The pilot tested “non-negative” for a psychoactive substance in a confirmatory test, according to a preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday.

“Safety remains Air India's highest priority. The Pilot-in-Command of the Phuket-Delhi flight tested positive for a psychoactive substance. In line with Air India's zero-tolerance approach to violation of safety, fitness or regulatory requirements, the pilot's employment has been terminated with immediate effect,” an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.

The report said the PIC was the pilot monitoring, meaning the crew member on a two-pilot aircraft who was not handling the primary controls at the time. The copilot tested negative in both tests.

The report did not find any connection between the detection of the psychoactive substance and the altitude upset. “Detailed investigation regarding technical and other aspects is underway.”

The AAIB advised the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to take appropriate action as deemed fit to prevent the misuse of psychoactive substances.

It described the use of such substances as a serious concern and said a detailed investigation into the technical and other aspects was still underway.

The flight departed Phuket in Thailand at 7.11am IST and initially reported no issues. At 9:10am, it entered the Kolkata Flight Information Region.

At 09:32 am, the aircraft's flight-control system detected a loss of the green hydraulic system. Four seconds later, it detected the loss of the blue and yellow hydraulic systems.

Hydraulic systems operate several aircraft components, including wheel brakes, nose-wheel steering, landing gear retraction, flight control surfaces, windshield wipers, and propeller pitch control.

At 9:32 am, the autopilot disengaged, and a continuous repetitive chime began. Three seconds later, the stall warning was activated for two seconds.

“...the aircraft encountered altitude upset. Initially, it gained 372 ft and fell by 292 ft from its assigned FL360 during the event,” the AAIB report said.

It added that the blue hydraulic system was restored around 09:32am. The yellow and green hydraulic systems were restored a few seconds later, restoring control of the surfaces and allowing the aircraft to return to normal operating conditions.