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Airlines and Travel Agents: Armed Conflict

Asked by Sarah DykeLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 24 April 2026UIN 127870

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has issued guidance on the application of the ‘Act of War’ clause for customers of travel agents and airlines; and whether there are regulatory protections in place to ensure passengers receive appropriate refunds.

Answered by Keir Mather

In the UK, Regulation 261/2004 sets out the rights of passengers in the event of cancellations, long delays and denied boarding.

Where UK law applies, if a flight is cancelled by the airline, then passengers would be entitled to a choice between a full refund or to be re-routed. These rights would apply if disruption were linked to war.

Information on air passenger rights is already available in the Department’s Air Passenger Travel Guide, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) recently provided specific advice to passengers in response to the Middle East disruption.

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