Volcanic Ash Claims Expected to Top 9/11

Volcanic Ash Claims Expected to Top 9/11

To date, Southern Cross Travel Insurance has received hundreds of claims valued, in total, at over half a million dollars relating to travel cancellations and delays as a result of the volcanic ash over Europe last month - and it anticipates this number may double.

CEO Craig Morrison says he expects to receive the highest number of claims since 9/11 as a result of the disruptions to flights.

“As soon as it was announced that Heathrow airport was closed we were inundated with hundreds of calls and online queries from affected passengers.

“The sheer volume of New Zealanders travelling to and from Europe on a daily basis, and the high costs involved with travel and accommodation in Europe, meant that the scale of the incident had significant insurance implications - considerably higher costs than last year’s tsunami in Samoa.”

ENDS

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