Aircraft Owner Insurance

Comprehensive hull and liability coverage built around your aircraft, your operations, and your risk profile.

Protecting Your Investment in the Air and on the Ground

An aircraft is one of the most significant assets you will ever own, and it requires insurance that reflects both its financial value and the unique risks associated with flight operations. Aircraft owner insurance combines two essential coverages: hull protection for the physical aircraft and liability protection for claims arising from its operation.

At Aviation Management Insurance Services, Inc. (AMIS), we specialize in structuring aircraft owner policies that accurately reflect your hull value, match your operational profile, and provide the liability limits necessary to protect your personal and business assets. Whether you own a single-engine piston, a turboprop, or a multi-engine jet, we work with leading aviation underwriters to deliver coverage you can depend on.

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Key Coverage Components

An aircraft owner policy is built from several interlocking coverages. Understanding each component ensures there are no gaps when you need protection most.

Physical Damage (Hull)

Covers repair or replacement of your aircraft due to damage or total loss. Policies are typically written on an Agreed Value basis, meaning you and the insurer agree on the aircraft's value at inception — no depreciation disputes at claim time.

Liability Coverage

Protects against third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage arising from the ownership, maintenance, or use of your aircraft. Liability limits should reflect the full scope of your exposure.

Passenger Liability

Provides coverage for injury claims brought by passengers aboard your aircraft. Per-passenger sub-limits apply and should be carefully structured to reflect how many seats you carry.

Medical Payments

Covers medical expenses for passengers and crew regardless of fault, up to a specified per-person limit. This coverage responds quickly and does not require a liability determination.

Guest Voluntary Settlement

An optional coverage that provides a predetermined settlement to injured passengers or their estates without requiring litigation. This can expedite resolution and preserve relationships.

In-Flight, Taxiing & Ground Risk

Hull coverage can be structured for all-risk (in-flight, taxiing, and ground) or ground-risk-only scenarios. The right structure depends on who flies the aircraft and how often.

What a Complete Aircraft Owner Policy Covers

  • Physical damage to the hull — Agreed Value or Actual Cash Value basis
  • Third-party bodily injury and property damage liability
  • Passenger liability with per-seat sub-limits
  • Medical payments for occupants regardless of fault
  • Guest voluntary settlement for expedited passenger claims
  • In-flight, taxiing, and ground risk hull coverage options
  • War and terrorism liability coverage (where available)
  • Worldwide or territorial coverage based on your operations

Why a Specialized Broker Matters

Aviation insurance is not a commodity. The difference between a properly structured policy and a generic one often becomes apparent only after a loss — when it is too late to correct. AMIS brings specialized expertise to every placement, ensuring your coverage works the way you expect it to.

  • Hull Valuation Expertise — We ensure your aircraft is insured at a proper agreed value that reflects current market conditions, installed equipment, and recent upgrades, so you are not underinsured at claim time.
  • Pilot Warranty Clause Navigation — Pilot warranty requirements dictate who may fly your aircraft and under what conditions. We negotiate open pilot clauses and named pilot warranties that align with how you actually use your aircraft.
  • Use and Purpose Alignment — Whether your aircraft is used for personal pleasure, business transportation, rental, instruction, or commercial charter, your policy must accurately reflect its use. Misalignment can void coverage entirely.
  • Market Access — We maintain direct relationships with leading aviation underwriters including Global Aerospace, USAIG, AIG, Allianz, and other specialized carriers, giving you competitive options that generalist brokers simply cannot access.
  • Claims Advocacy — In the event of a loss, we advocate on your behalf throughout the entire claims process, including coordination during NTSB and FAA investigations, to ensure you receive a fair and timely resolution.
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Key Terms You Should Know

Aviation insurance has its own vocabulary. Understanding these terms will help you evaluate your coverage and ask the right questions.

Agreed Value means you and the insurer establish a fixed value for the aircraft when the policy is written. In the event of a total loss, you receive that agreed amount with no depreciation applied. This is the preferred approach for most aircraft owners because it eliminates valuation disputes after a loss.

Actual Cash Value (ACV) pays the fair market value of the aircraft at the time of loss, accounting for depreciation, wear, and condition. ACV policies carry the risk that the payout may be significantly less than what you paid or what it would cost to replace the aircraft.

An open pilot warranty defines the minimum qualifications any pilot must meet to operate your aircraft under the policy. Rather than naming each pilot individually, this clause sets requirements such as minimum total flight hours, time-in-type, certificate ratings, and recency of experience. Pilots who meet the stated criteria are covered; pilots who do not are excluded. A properly negotiated open pilot clause gives you flexibility without sacrificing coverage.

Territorial limits define where in the world your aircraft is covered. A standard policy may cover the contiguous United States and Canada. If you fly to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, or beyond, you must ensure your policy extends coverage to those territories. Operating outside your declared territory can result in a complete denial of both hull and liability claims.

Aviation hull deductibles are typically split into two categories. An in-motion deductible applies when the aircraft is taxiing, taking off, or landing — situations where the risk of damage is higher. A not-in-motion deductible applies when the aircraft is parked, tied down, or hangared. In-motion deductibles are generally higher than not-in-motion deductibles. Understanding this distinction helps you budget for potential out-of-pocket costs and make informed decisions about hangar storage versus tie-down.

A Combined Single Limit (CSL) provides one total liability limit that applies to all claims arising from a single occurrence, regardless of whether the claims involve bodily injury, property damage, or passenger injury. CSL policies offer maximum flexibility in how the limit is applied.

Split Limits break the liability coverage into separate sub-limits — for example, a per-person bodily injury limit, a per-occurrence bodily injury limit, and a property damage limit. Split limits can restrict the amount available for any single type of claim. Most aviation professionals recommend CSL structures for their simplicity and broader protection.

Ready to Protect Your Aircraft?

Let our aviation insurance specialists review your current coverage or build a policy from the ground up. We make the process straightforward so you can focus on flying.