What happens if your travel plans are disrupted by airspace closures?

RNZ News

24-06-2025

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123RF
Travellers who have had their plans disrupted by airspace closures should have their flights rescheduled or refunded, but probably won't receive any compensation.
Airlines are avoiding large parts of the Middle East due to attacks from the United States, Israel and Iran.
Qatar closed its airspace when Iran launched a missile attack on US bases there and it was reported that flights heading for Dubai turned around.
Air India posted on X that it was ceasing all operations in the Middle East and flights from North America to India were being sent back.
Carter Capner Law director Peter Carter said airlines were entitled to make changes to their flight routes and destinations for safety and operational reasons.
"There is no compensation payable as a result of a diversion or delayed arrival in those circumstances.
"An airline is obliged to provide accommodation at the place to which the flight was diverted but the standard of accommodation and the type of other expenses it will cover - such as meals - is specified in the ticket terms.
"Passengers delayed on flights to the EU are entitled to compensation if they are on an EU airline but it is not required to pay if the delay is as a result of 'extraordinary' circumstances. War and closure of air space is certainly an 'extraordinary' circumstance."
Vanessa Pratley, an investigative writer at Consumer NZ, said people whose travel was disrupted would probably be entitled to a refund or credit, if a flight was cancelled or a rescheduled flight time didn't suit.
"However, because the situation is unavoidable and outside of airlines' control, much like bad weather, passengers likely won't be entitled to any further compensation for loss or damage caused by the delay, such as an extra night of accommodation. What you're entitled to will vary based on the airline and its conditions of carriage."
Karen Stevens, Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman, said if people whose flights were disrupted missed other prebooked accommodation or side trips, they could claim on their travel insurance.
But they might find that their policy had an exclusion that meant they could not claim for loss that was due to war.
"It would depend on how war was defined in the particular policy."
Rebecca Styles, Consumer's insurance expert, agreed travel insurance might not help.
"Insurers typically exclude the risk of war and violence, civil unrest, and if the government has issued a 'do not travel' directive to a particular location. So, if you haven't bought insurance before the directive was issued it's highly unlikely you'll be able to get it. At the moment, the UAE has a 'exercise increased caution' rather than a flat 'do not travel'. Yet, in the first instance, it's up to the airline to reschedule/reroute flights."