Travel update

Position statement: Middle East conflict

Issued: 6 July 2026

AHI Corporate Travel Insurance

This position statement relates to travel cancellation and amendment. Please refer to your Product Disclosure Statement and/or policy wording, and policy schedule to check if other cover may be available.

Background

An increase in hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran commencing 28th February 2026 has led to dramatic escalation of regional tensions and concerted attacks on military installations and civilian areas throughout the Gulf.

These incidents have resulted in casualties, travel disruptions and heightened uncertainty about stability and security in the region. 

AHI will continue to monitor the situation and follow guidance from relevant authorities. This position summary is accurate as of the date of issue and will remain in effect until it is updated or withdrawn.

Customers impacted by conflict in the Middle East region

If your travel arrangements are impacted, we recommend first contacting your travel agent or travel provider to learn about your available options. Some travel providers may offer penalty-free options to amend your arrangements, or refunds or credits may be available if you cancel your trip.

If you require immediate assistance, please reach out to our emergency assistance team, AHI Assist. Contact details can be found below or in your policy documentation.

If you are affected and wish to make a claim, you can do so. Claims will be assessed on a case-by-case basis based on your specific circumstances.

AHI Assist

For 24-hour emergency assistance contact AHI Assist: 
Phone: +61 2 8330 1222 (reverse charge, where available)
SMS: +61 428 829 755 
Email: help@ahiassist.com.au

AHI Corporate Travel Insurance coverage

The following is a summary of the coverage available under the AHI Corporate Travel Insurance Policy. Please note that terms, conditions, limits and exclusions apply. It’s important to refer to the Product Disclosure Statement and/or policy wording, and other relevant policy documents, such as your policy schedule.

Declared ‘Known Event’

The events in the region were widely reported in the Australian media from 28 February 2026. AHI considers this the date from which customers could reasonably be expected to be aware of the increased hostilities. Therefore, for some travel arrangements and benefits, AHI is classifying this as a Known Event effective from 12:00am on 1 March 2026.

This distinction is important because insurance is designed to cover unforeseen events. Incidents that were known at the time of booking or starting a journey are generally not covered under travel insurance policies.

How AHI is applying this Known Event varies by when travel arrangements were booked and when a journey commences, as outlined below.

Policy response in relation to Known Event

The general policy response is as follows:
1. Travel curtailment and amendment after commencement of a Journey:
Journeys which have been declared to AHI and commenced on or after 17 June 2026:
AHI are not deeming travel disruption caused by the Middle East conflict a Known Event for Journeys which have been declared to AHI and commenced on or after 17 June 2026. There may be cover available for reasonable travel curtailment or amendment expenses under the policy, depending on your specific circumstances – such as the time remaining until you are scheduled to be in the affected region or the extent to which the hostilities will impact your itinerary.
Journeys which have been declared to AHI and commenced prior to 17 June 2026:
AHI are deeming travel disruption caused by the Middle East conflict a Known Event for Journeys which have been declared to AHI and commenced prior to 17 June 2026. There is likely no cover for travel cancellation or disruption arising directly or indirectly out of or in relation to these events in the region for any journey, or component of a journey, commenced prior to 17 June 2026.
2. Cancellation or alteration of a Journey prior to commencement:
For travel arrangements booked and declared to AHI prior to 12:00am 1 March 2026:
AHI are not deeming the Middle East conflict a Known Event for travel arrangements booked and declared to AHI prior to 12:00am 1 March 2026. There may be cover available for reasonable cancellation or amendment expenses under the policy, depending on your specific circumstances – such as the time remaining until you are scheduled to be in the affected region or the extent to which the hostilities will impact your itinerary. Please also refer to the information below regarding disinclination to travel and reasonable timeframes.
For travel arrangements booked and declared to AHI on or after 12:00am 1 March 2026 and before 12:00am 17 June 2026:
AHI are deeming the Middle East conflict a Known Event for travel arrangements booked and declared to AHI on or after 12:00am 1 March 2026 and before 12:00am 17 June 2026. There is likely no cover for travel cancellation or alteration arising directly or indirectly out of or in relation to these events in the region for any journey, or component of a journey, booked and declared to AHI on or after 12:00am on 1 March 2026 and before 12:00am 17 June 2026.
For travel arrangements declared to AHI which were booked on or after 12:00am 17 June 2026:
AHI are not deeming the Middle East conflict a Known Event for travel arrangements declared to AHI which were booked on or after 12:00am 17 June 2026. There may be cover available for reasonable cancellation or amendment expenses under the policy, depending on your specific circumstances – such as the time remaining until you are scheduled to be in the affected region or the extent to which the hostilities will impact your itinerary. Please also refer to the information below regarding disinclination to travel and reasonable timeframes.

It is a policy requirement that, where reasonably practicable, you notify AHI Assist if your potential travel disruption or cancellation loss is expected to exceed AUD $5,000.

Policy response in relation to War

The AHI Corporate Travel Insurance policy includes the following under General Exclusions in the policy wording:
“We will not pay for a Claim under the Policy if the Claim arises directly or indirectly out of or in relation to any of the following:
8. War, Civil War, rebellion, revolution, insurrection or military or usurped power in or confiscation or nationalisation or requisition or destruction of or damage to property by or under the order of any government or public or local authority in the Insured’s Country of Domicile or Country of Expatriation, or the Insured Person taking part in a riot or civil commotion.”

For example, if you are an Australian Resident travelling through the Middle East and you are not domiciled in the Middle East, this general exclusion would not apply to you.

Making a claim

You are welcome to submit a claim for consideration if a loss has occurred. Each claim will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, based on your specific circumstances and policy terms, conditions, exclusions, and limits.

If you experience a travel cancellation or disruption, you should first contact your travel agent or travel provider (such as your airline) to seek a refund, credit, or alternative travel arrangements based on your existing ticket. If you still incur a loss after taking these steps, you may submit a claim with all relevant supporting documentation. This should include but is not limited to a completed claim form explaining the reason for the change, original and amended itineraries, and correspondence from your travel agent or provider confirming any refund or credit received or offered.

Disinclination to travel

If travel disruptions improve and flights resume as scheduled, but you choose not to travel according to your planned itinerary, AHI may consider any resulting cancellation or amendment to be a disinclination to travel, as there is no longer an actual impediment. This is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy.

Reasonable timeframes 

It is currently uncertain how long the hostilities will last and when the Australian Government's travel advisories will change. Previous global events have shown that these changes can happen suddenly and could result in travel disruptions. Therefore, if your itinerary involves travel to or through the affected region, you may wish to wait until closer to your scheduled departure before cancelling or amending your travel.

Please read your complete policy documentation for full terms, conditions and exclusions.