While the cover is supposed to cover delays, cancellations and lost luggage, most travel policies speci"cally exclude claims arising from "terrorism or acts of war".

Market leader VHI, which has a 35% share of the market in multi-trip policies, has a blanket exclusion that even extends to claims arising from the threat of terrorist action.

"We do not provide insurance cover for any of the events of recent days as anything related to terrorism is speci"cally excluded, " a spokeswoman said. "This is the industry norm and is not an insurable risk."

Other insurance companies contacted by the Sunday Tribune have adopted a similar position, although some indicated that they might pay out on claims on a case-by-case basis.

The news comes as Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary is threatening to sue the UK government for compensation arising from the severe "ight disruption that followed a security crackdown after an alleged plan to launch a terrorist attack through UK airports was foiled on 10 August.

O'Leary has described the measures, including severe limits on cabin baggage, as a "Keystone Cops" approach to security . . . after the comic "lm characters. O'Leary's criticisms have been backed by David Learmont, editor of the in"uential Flight Internationalmagazine. "I go along with a lot of what he says, " Learmont said in an interview on RTE radio. "There is so much froth about security regulations. . . and it's actually dangerous to get sidetracked by the froth. While security is looking for lipsticks, they are not looking for detonators. It distracts you."

Learmont called on Europe to follow the example of the US, where the government has taken charge of all aspects of airport security since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.

Aviation lawyers in the UK have poured cold water on Ryanair's chances of compensation, saying it would be unlikely to qualify under the relevant legislation.