Holidaymakers warned volcanic ash disruption is uninsurable

The travel plans of millions of British holidaymakers will continue to be thrown into disarray by volcanic ash this summer and most will not be insured against the cost of disruption.

The Met Office has confirmed that northerly winds will continue to dominate wind patterns across the UK this week and “possibly up to the next ten days”, which raises the prospect of ongoing disturbance. Also, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned that disruptions to flights will continue “for the foreseeable future”.

Despite the warning, travellers face a lottery over whether they are covered by their travel insurer for hotel, flight and transport costs as a result of flight delays and cancellations due to the ash.

Graeme Trudgill, British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) technical and corporate affairs executive, said: ” Insurance is for the unexpected, and the Icelandic eruption is now a known event, so insurance policies bought since the first eruption on April 14 will not cover the cost of travel disruption.”

Related Articles