On Saturday 28 February 2026 various countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, experienced attacks following the United States and Isreal launching a major Military operation against Iran.
Due to the events many Middle Eastern countries have closed their airspace. This has resulted in flight cancellations, flight diversions and travel disruption.
The below guidance provides information relating to Trusted Travel Insurance policies.
In the first instance, please contact your airline, tour operator or travel provider in relation to any issues with your travel arrangements due to the conflict.
Further details can be found in the ‘Cancellation of your trip’ section below.
It is important to always follow the advice of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO):
Please note, this advice is subject to the current information available and is subject to change.
For up-to-date FCDO travel advice, and to register your presence, please follow the links below:
Foreign Office travel advice updates - GOV.UK
Foreign travel advice - GOV.UK
(+44) (0)20 7008 5000
In addition, the FCDO have advised any British National travelling to certain areas of the Middle East to shelter in place and not attempt to leave.
If you are already in these countries, please follow the advice given by the local authorities.
Since Saturday 28 February the conflict has been classed as a known event.
Our policies exclude claims if circumstances are known before you purchase a policy, or book a trip, which could reasonably have been expected to lead to you cancelling or cutting short the trip.
As such there is no cover for any policies purchased on or after 6pm on 28 February or where the travel advice existed at the time of booking the trip or purchasing the policy.
If your package provider has cancelled your booking, you should speak to your tour operator to rearrange the trip or arrange a refund.
You will be protected under ‘The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018,’ or ‘The European Package Travel Directive’ where you are entitled to a full refund.
As the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel, there is cover under the policy if you need to cancel your trip as long as the advice was issued within 21 days of your departure date.
If you need to make a claim, in the first instance please speak with your travel provider to claim a refund or postpone the trip. If your travel provider refuses to refund the booking, or you need to claim other pre-paid charges, please submit a claim via our Make a claim page.
If your flight is cancelled by your airline, you are legally entitled to a full refund of the flight, under the EU Denied Boarding regulations.
If your policy does not include cutting short your trip due to FCDO advice, cover may be available due to flight cancellation. Please check your policy wording for full details.
If you are on a package trip and you need to return home, please speak to your tour operator. You are protected under ‘The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018,’ or ‘The European Package Travel Directive’, where the package provider will arrange alterative accommodation, new flights etc. Your Trusted travel policy does not cover claims if you are on a package trip.
If you have booked an independent trip, for example where you’ve booked your flights and accommodation separately, and you need to return home early, there is cover in place for cutting short your trip due to FCDO advice.
However, in the first instance please speak with your airline to see if they can offer an alternative flight in the first instance. If your policy does not include cutting short your trip due to FCDO advice, cover may be available due to flight cancellation. Please check your policy wording for full details.
If you travelled before the 28 February 2026, you will be covered for emergency medical expenses for the remaining part of your trip.
If you need to contact the Trusted Travel Insurance emergency medical helpline, please call +44 (0) 330 678 3032.
As the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel, you may be covered for medical expenses, however this depends on the type of cover you hold.
Where your policy excludes cover where the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel, we will not cover any claims relating directly or indirectly from the travel advice.
If you travel to an area which the FCDO has advised against all but essential travel, you will be covered for emergency medical expenses providing your trip is essential. We and the FCDO do not define essential travel, so you will need to decide if your travel is essential or not.
If you travel to an area where the FCDO has advised against all travel, we will not cover any claims relating directly or indirectly from the travel advice.
We will automatically extend the period of cover at no additional charge providing you accept the first alternative return offered, and you don’t delay your return.
If you included Travel Disruption Cover when you purchased your policy, please refer to your policy wording for full details. Please note that Travel Disruption Cover cannot be added to the policy whilst you are on a trip.