Luton airports terminal 2 car park has partially collapsed after catching fire. The fire broke out on Tuesday the 10th of October around 9pm, engulfing the car park and spreading to multiple floors. This has caused all flights to be suspended until 15:00 BST and has left many stranded at the airport unsure of when or if their flights will depart.
The fire was caused by a vehicle fire which has then spread throughout the car park. It is believed over 1000 cars have been affected. People nearby reported the sound of car alarms and loud explosions as the fire swept through the car park at a frightening rate, leaving cars burnt and damaged.
Currently it has been reported that five people have been taken to hospital with injuries and smoke inhalation, which included a member of airport staff and four firefighters. Bedfordshire police have urged people not to travel to the affected area as firefighters continue to battle the blaze.
What if my flight is cancelled due to the car park fire?
Occasionally, airlines are forced to cancel flights due to unforeseen circumstances such as the fires at Luton airport. Regarding this event, it is the airlines responsibility to re-book passengers onto the next available flight once flights resume and it is safe to depart.
If a flight is not available until the following day of original departure, certain airlines may offer accommodation and if a replacement flight can’t be arranged within 24 hours of the initial travel time, they may propose alternative transportation such as flying with a different airline.
The airline you were due to travel with may be able to offer compensation, so make sure to check their terms and conditions. Alternatively, if you have booked with a travel agent or tour operator it is advised that you contact them directly to get a better understanding of the next steps.
It is unlikely that your travel insurance will be able to help in this scenario, as it falls to the tour operator, travel agent or airline to re-imburse its customers or provide an alternative mode of transport. Some travel insurance policies may offer cover for circumstances such as the Luton airport fire, but this is usually available as an ‘add on’ or an ‘extension’. To understand the cover available under your travel insurance policy, we advise that you check the policy wordings or speak with your travel insurance provider directly.
Will my travel insurance cover the Luton airport fire?
Force Majeure is an event that happens outside of your control, including natural disasters, civil unrest and any other unforeseeable event that could disrupt your trip. In this case, the car park fire at Luton airport is an unforeseeable event that has disrupted many passengers’ trips and could impact yours. Many travel insurance policies may not offer force majeure cover as standard and an extension could have to be purchased to ensure adequate cover is available for circumstances such as this.
Adding Force majeure cover to your travel insurance policy will cover you for; natural disasters or major incidences such as storms, floods, earthquakes and extreme weather conditions. You may also be covered for political unrest, civil or military disturbances, nuclear catastrophes, insurrection and rebellion
In order for cover to be available, the incident must occur after the date you brought your policy. If cover is purchased after the incident happened it is classed as a ‘known event’ and will not be covered by the travel insurance policy. If you do need to make a claim, bear in mind you will need to pay any expenses upfront and claim this back from your travel insurance (i.e. purchasing an alternative flight ticket and then claiming back the cost when you return home). We recommend retaining any receipts and additional tickets to be used as evidence to support any claim you may need to make.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk and a member of the team will gladly help.