In most cases, no — standard travel insurance does not cover flight cancellations caused by war. Many standard policies carry a war exclusion clause, whether the fighting is active, paused, or under a fragile ceasefire.
But you’re not without options. Your airline may owe you a refund or rebooking under applicable passenger-rights rules, certain upgraded insurance can help, and there are practical steps you can take right now.
Why Standard Travel Insurance Excludes War
Any losses arising directly or indirectly from war, acts of war, or military conflict are not covered under many standard travel insurance policies, whether war has been formally declared or not. Pauses or ceasefires in the fighting do not void these exclusions.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) advises checking the policy and distinguishing insurance claims from rights against travel providers. A war exclusion may prevent recovery of unused accommodation, excursions or transport costs from your insurer.
The exclusion can cover military operations, invasions and civil wars. Whether airspace closures or political unrest are excluded depends on their cause and the policy wording, including general exclusions.
Your Airline Still Owes You — Even Without Insurance
If an airline cancels your flight, refund or rebooking rights depend on the applicable law and the booking. Where a refund is due, accepting and using an alternative flight generally means you cannot also claim a refund for that same transportation.
Some regions go further with rules that give you additional protections worth knowing about.
If you’re flying from the Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar)
GCC passenger care rules differ by country. The applicable protections depend on the airline, itinerary and reason for disruption:
UAE (GCAA):
- For anticipated terminal delays of 3–8 hours: meals and refreshments appropriate to the wait
- Appropriate communications during anticipated terminal delays of 3–8 hours
- Hotel accommodation and transfers for anticipated terminal delays over 8 hours; missed-connection passengers may qualify earlier where the next connection is more than 8 hours away
- The programme covers UAE operators and requires UAE airports to coordinate equivalent welfare arrangements with foreign operators at airports including Dubai or Abu Dhabi
Saudi Arabia (GACA):
- A refund of the ticket and additional booking fees when cancellation permits termination of the contract and the passenger declines an alternative flight
- Delay compensation may reach 150 SDR for delays exceeding 6 hours, subject to the regulations and force-majeure or approved safety/security exceptions
- Applies to all flights departing Jeddah, Riyadh, and all Saudi airports
Qatar (QCAA):
- Request the remedies available under the airline’s conditions and the law applying to your itinerary; an event cancellation alone does not cancel your flight
- Complain to the airline first and allow 14 days for its response before escalating an unresolved or unsatisfactory complaint to QCAA
- QCAA’s online complaint service says the journey must not use Doha solely as a transit point
If you’re flying from, to, or within the EU
EU Regulation 261/2004 applies to departures from the EU on any airline and arrivals from outside the EU on an EU carrier, subject to its conditions. For a covered cancellation, you can choose reimbursement within 7 days, rerouting at the earliest opportunity, or rerouting at a later convenient date subject to seats.
What makes EU rules uniquely powerful is the mandatory duty of care, even when the cancellation is caused by war. While you wait, the airline must provide:
- Meals and refreshments
- Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay is necessary
- Transport between the airport and hotel
- Two free communications (calls, emails, or faxes)
Extraordinary circumstances can remove the right to separate €250–€600 compensation if the airline proves that all reasonable measures could not have avoided the cancellation. Care remains due while awaiting the earliest available rerouting; it normally ends if you choose a refund or later travel at your convenience.
If you’re flying to, from or within the US
Under the US DOT’s automatic refund rule, airlines must refund you automatically when they cancel and you do not accept rebooking, continued travel or alternative compensation. Refunds go through within 7 business days for credit cards or 20 calendar days for other payment methods.
This applies regardless of the cancellation reason. If the airline cancelled and you decline the alternatives, a refund is due for unused transportation.
What to do right now with your airline
Contact your airline directly before doing anything else. If your flight is cancelled, ask specifically about rebooking onto any available services or request a full refund. Do not accept a voucher unless you genuinely prefer one.
Keep every receipt. Meals, hotels, transport, phone calls. You may recover these costs from the airline under duty-of-care rules or from trip delay insurance.
Track your flight status in real time using the Wego flight tracker to stay ahead of cancellations and schedule changes.
Insurance Options That Can Actually Help
Standard trip cancellation won’t cover war — but other types of coverage might, depending on when you bought your policy and what add-ons you selected.
Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) coverage
CFAR may cover a voluntary cancellation prompted by war, subject to the specific policy. It lets you cancel for almost any reason — including fear of conflict, war, or an airspace closure — and usually reimburses 50% to 75% of your non-refundable costs. Our Cancel For Any Reason guide explains how it works and the purchase deadlines to watch.
The catch is timing and policy wording. CFAR usually has a purchase deadline tied to your first trip payment and a deadline for cancelling before departure. Known-event restrictions vary by insurer: Travelex, for example, lists 28 February 2026 for the Middle East and requires its CFAR upgrade to have been purchased before that effective date. This is not a universal deadline for all insurers.
Trip delay coverage
Trip delay benefits apply only if the cause of the delay is covered and no general exclusion removes cover. A war exclusion can apply to delay expenses as well as cancellation claims.
Check your policy’s trip delay section specifically. If neither that section nor the policy’s general exclusions excludes the cause, you may have a valid claim for out-of-pocket expenses like meals, hotels, and transport during a long delay.
Travel medical and evacuation coverage
Many travel medical policies continue to cover illness and injury even in conflict-affected areas, though this depends on your policy’s specific war exclusion language. Contact your insurer promptly, but do not delay urgent medical treatment.
Some policies include a security evacuation rider that covers physically moving you out of a dangerous area. This operates under different rules than trip cancellation and may pay out even when other war-related claims are denied.
Specialist war zone insurance
A handful of specialist insurers offer cover designed specifically for conflict areas. These plans are mainly built for journalists, aid workers, and contractors, with eligibility assessed by the provider.
Be aware of important limitations. Even among specialist providers, many plans exclude losses resulting from acts of war, and cover for active conflict zones is often assessed on a case-by-case basis. Eligibility typically varies by nationality, destination, and how the specific risk zone is classified.
If You Already Have a Policy
Contact your insurer before making any alternative arrangements. Some insurers have confirmed that pre-existing policies purchased before the escalation will honour certain claims.
Do not assume you’re covered. A ceasefire — or its breakdown — does not change the war exclusion in your policy. Call your insurer, cite your policy number, and ask: “Does my policy cover disruption caused by the current military conflict?” Get the answer in writing.
Practical Steps to Protect Yourself
Whether your flight was cancelled during the conflict, you have an upcoming trip, or you’re planning future travel, here’s what to do.
If your flight has already been cancelled
Contact your airline first. Request the refund or rebooking available under the law and conditions applying to your flight. Use the Wego flight tracker to monitor which routes are operating.
Keep every receipt for meals, hotels, transport, and phone calls. These may be recoverable from the airline or from trip delay insurance.
If you paid by credit card, you may have additional protection. Many premium cards include trip delay benefits, and a chargeback is a last resort if the airline won’t refund you.
If you have an upcoming trip at risk
Check your government’s latest travel advisory for your destination and transit points. Regional disruption remains possible, but an advisory change does not automatically entitle you to a refund for an independently booked flight that still operates.
Review your insurance policy’s exclusions section for language about war, military action, or government-ordered travel restrictions. If you have CFAR, check its purchase and cancellation deadlines before making a claim.
Monitor airspace developments. EASA’s active Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman bulletin is CZIB-2026-07R2, revised on 31 August and valid until 30 September 2026 unless reviewed earlier. It recommends avoiding specified maritime airspace, with an exception for necessary arrivals and departures in the Persian Gulf FIRs, and caution over land. It is an operator risk advisory, not proof that every airport or flight is closed.
For future trips
Buy insurance early — within the first few weeks of booking. This can help meet purchase deadlines, but does not override exclusions or guarantee cover.
Consider CFAR if flexibility matters to you. It can cost more than standard trip cancellation, and protection depends on the policy’s eligibility rules, exclusions and cancellation deadline.
Read the exclusions before you buy. If war coverage matters to you, ask the insurer directly or consider specialist providers.
Pay with a credit card. A chargeback may be available if the provider fails to deliver, subject to the card scheme’s rules and deadlines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a ceasefire change my travel insurance coverage?
No. Neither a ceasefire nor a return to fighting voids or modifies war exclusion clauses in existing policies. If your policy excludes war-related losses, that exclusion remains in effect. Any known-event restriction remains subject to the insurer’s own terms; 28 February 2026 is not a universal cut-off for every policy.
Does travel insurance cover terrorism as well as war?
Some policies cover terrorism, subject to conditions. Definitions, location limits and timing windows differ by policy, and terrorism cover does not automatically include war.
Can I get a refund from my airline even without insurance?
Often, yes. For eligible flights, EU 261/2004 and US DOT rules provide refund rights when you decline alternative travel. GCC rules and airline conditions differ; insurance is separate from those rights.
What if I need medical attention while stranded abroad?
Many travel medical policies still cover illness and injury in conflict-affected areas, though this depends on your policy’s war exclusion language. Contact your insurer immediately — your medical coverage may be valid even when trip cancellation coverage isn’t.
I booked through a travel agent — who is responsible?
Contact the original seller and the airline. Refund responsibility can depend on the payment recipient and applicable law. Package organisers may have separate obligations under consumer-protection rules.
Is it too late to buy CFAR insurance for my upcoming Middle East trip?
It depends on the policy and when you paid for the trip. CFAR has purchase and cancellation deadlines, and some insurers impose known-event restrictions. Travelex uses 28 February 2026 for this conflict; do not treat that as a deadline shared by every provider.
Can I still claim for a flight cancelled earlier in the conflict?
You may still be able to claim. Airline claims are subject to applicable legal time limits, and insurance claims have policy-specific notification and filing deadlines. Keep the cancellation notice and booking records, and submit the claim promptly.
Sources
- EUR-Lex — EU Regulation 261/2004 on Air Passenger Rights
- US Department of Transportation — Automatic Refund Rule for Airline Passengers
- Association of British Insurers — Travel Insurance
- UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) — Passenger Welfare Programme
- Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) — Passenger Rights
- Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) — Passenger Complaints
- EASA — CZIB-2026-07R2: Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
- US State Department — Travel Advisories
- UK FCDO — Foreign Travel Advice
- Kuwait Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
- The National — Flights Resume in Kuwait After Temporary Airport Closure
- NPR — Kuwait Says Iranian Drones Hit Airport as Ceasefire Is Tested Again
Disclaimer: Wego strives to ensure all information presented in this article is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. Travel policies, prices, visa requirements, and conditions can change rapidly. We strongly recommend verifying critical details with official sources before making travel decisions. Wego does not accept liability for any inaccuracies, oversights, or changes that may occur after publication.
