What to do if conflict in the Middle East or strikes in Europe mean your flights or holidays are cancelled

April 10, 2026

I booked a package holiday but I’m worried I won’t be able to travel because of what is happening in the Middle East, what should I do?

If you booked a package holiday you have strong rights under the EU Package Travel Regulations 2019. To qualify as a package, your trip must include at least two elements, for example transport and accommodation bought together for one price.

Under the EU rules, if there are ‘unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances’ at your destination, or in its immediate vicinity, such as the outbreak of a war, that would significantly affect either the holiday itself or your ability to travel there, then you can cancel your holiday before it begins and receive a full refund.

If you are considering cancelling your holiday altogether because of your safety concerns, we recommend that you first get an update on the status of your trip from the travel agent. Remember if the travel agent cancels it is much more straightforward. If the tour operator cancels your holiday, or if they make a major change to what you originally booked, such as altering your destination, dates, or essential travel arrangements, then you have very strong rights. You must be offered a replacement holiday of equal or higher quality at no extra cost, a lower grade holiday with an appropriate refund of the difference in price, or a full refund.

If you do decide that you don’t want to go ahead with your trip because of your safety concerns you should set out your reasons very clearly and ask for written confirmation from your travel agent in advance about what level of refund you will receive and if there will be any charges.

You may want to check the latest travel advice from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for your destination. If the Government is advising against nonessential travel to the area or highlighting significant safety risks, this may strengthen your case for cancellation under extraordinary circumstances and a full refund without penalties.

There is no government travel advice saying I shouldn’t go to my holiday destination, but the current situation is making me nervous and I’d rather not go. Will I be able to get a refund for my package holiday?

You can cancel a package holiday at any time before the start of the package, although you may lose your deposit. The closer you are to your travel date, the larger a cancellation fee might be. The terms and conditions of your contract should tell you what happens and any fees that apply if you cancel.

If there are no travel restrictions in place and the trip is going ahead, it is very likely that you will have to pay some sort of penalty if you cancel.

There’s been a lot of commentary recently about fuel price rises and how this might put up the price of holidays. Can my travel agent add extra fees to my trip, after I’ve booked?

Your travel agent or operator is not allowed to add additional charges to your holiday if there are less than 20 days to go until your departure. However, before that, the organiser can increase prices if:

• Fuel or other power costs drives up the cost of transporting passengers
• Taxes, fees or charges are introduced or increased at your destination – eg landing or embarkation fees or tourist taxes
• There is an increase in exchange rates relevant to the package holiday

However, the good news is that if the price increases by more than 8%, you have the right to cancel without any charge being applied.

For more see: Package holidays – CCPC

I booked flights to a destination in the Middle East or was due to have a layover in the Middle East. What should I do?

If you are due to travel to or through the Middle East, then you should check the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the latest travel advice for your destination before travelling and stay in touch with your airline.

If your flight departs from Ireland, you are covered by EU laws. If your flight is cancelled with less than seven days’ notice, and you no longer wish to travel, then you are entitled to a refund within seven days. If you still wish to travel and it is safe to do so, then the airline must re-route you at the earliest opportunity or at a later date of your choice.

If your flight has been cancelled with more than seven days’ notice, the airline will need to offer you the option to travel at a later date or refund you the cost of the unused flight.

I was due to fly to Spain this Easter, but I’ve read reports about airports being closed. What happens if my flight is cancelled?

The EU rules on cancelled flights apply regardless of the reason – so if your flight to Spain is cancelled with less than a week to go, you must be offered the choice between

• re-routing as close as possible to the original departure time;
• re-routing at a later date; or
• a refund of the cost of the unused flight ticket

You may also be entitled to compensation depending on when you are rerouted.

If you are given more than a fortnight’s notice of a cancellation, you are still entitled to one of these options but will not qualify for compensation.

If my flight is cancelled, am I entitled to compensation?

If your flight is cancelled and you are rerouted and depart no more than one hour before the original departure time, and arrived no more than 2 hours after the original arrival time, you are not entitled to compensation from your air carrier.
If you are rerouted outside of those timeframes, your issue may be covered by Regulation EU 261 and you might be entitled to compensation, unless there are extraordinary circumstances such as the outbreak of a war.

For more information on your flight rights

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is the enforcement body for passenger/flight rights under this Regulation. They have information on passenger/flight rights on their website and they also have an FAQ page on cancelled flights and compensation.

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