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Airlines prepare for nuclear war
Jets could continue to fly following an atomic blast as insurers scramble to combat escalating conflicts
"Airlines are taking steps to ensure that they can keep flying even after the outbreak of a nuclear war.
Jets could continue to fly following an atomic blast under special insurance policies being drawn up to address the possibility of conflicts escalating in Ukraine and Kashmir.
Current policies that date back to the 1950s would force the grounding of all civil aircraft worldwide in the event of a single nuclear detonation, based on the assumption that this would lead to the outbreak of a third world war.
However, with the deployment of nuclear weapons now regarded as more likely to involve so-called tactical warheads used in a limited role on the battlefield, the insurance industry has developed plans to allow flights to continue in regions removed from conflict zones.
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Gallagher, the world's largest aviation insurance broker, began working on the scheme when Vladimir Putin threatened to deploy Russia's atomic weapons against Ukraine in 2022.
Its plans have been given fresh impetus by the clash between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, where hostilities reached a level not seen for decades over the past week.
Nigel Weyman, senior partner at Gallagher, said the Ukraine conflict had revived interest in nuclear-related insurance policies.
He said: "Back when the wording was drawn up, it was assumed that any hostile detonation meant that it would all be over, Armageddon. But what they didn't have in those days was tactical nuclear weapons that vary in size and impact and which are, ultimately, very usable."
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"Volcanic ash clouds affect big areas, but the world keeps flying. Yet a few words on an insurance policy can ground every jet there is."
The broker has come up with a plan that would see a select number of insurers evaluate where airlines should be permitted to fly after a nuclear detonation, aided by analysis from security experts at risk-management specialists Osprey Flight Solutions...."
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