Insurance for aviation businesses, flight schools and maintenance organisations in Germany
In aviation the law dictates what must be insured before the first aircraft even taxis. Add the hangar, spare parts, workshop and people whose licence depends on their health. This page shows what is compulsory, what makes sense and where the costs lie.
What is the minimum insurance I need to operate an aircraft?
Operator's liability under § 43 LuftVG. The minimum limits depend on the maximum take off mass and are set out in EU Regulation 785/2004; they apply to small aeroplanes and helicopters too. If you carry passengers, for example on pleasure flights or with passengers during training, passenger liability per seat is added. Without this proof there is no registration and no take off.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Landing accidents
A crosswind, a ground strike during a go around, a collapsed nose wheel: in training, landing accidents are the most common losses.
02
Crash with third party damage
A crash onto a residential area, a road or a power line causes damage many times the value of the aircraft.
03
Hangar and apron
One aircraft rolls into another, a hangar door closes on a wing, a fuel bowser clips a tail.
04
Maintenance errors
A wrongly fitted part, a missed inspection: maintenance organisations are liable for consequences that may only show months later.
05
Fitness and licence
Heart, eyes, diabetes: anyone who loses their medical may no longer fly, even if they could otherwise still work.
06
Storms on the ground
Hail on the apron and gales that shift parked aircraft hit aeroplanes without a hangar space.
Aviation operator's liability and passenger liability are compulsory; airfields, hangars and maintenance also need aviation business and product liability. We approach specialist insurers for this.
Keeps a flight school or maintenance business afloat if the hangar is out of action after a fire.
What it costs: example prices
Aviation insurance is almost always priced individually. What matters is take off mass, seats, value when new, type of use (private, training, commercial transport), pilot experience and claims history.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Microlight, operator's liability at the statutory minimum
about €250 to €600 a year
Business liability
Single engine training aircraft up to 1,200 kg, operator's and passenger liability
about €1,000 to €2,500 a year
Business liability
Maintenance organisation for light aircraft, aviation product liability
about €2,000 to €6,000 a year
Commercial buildings
Hangar with workshop, rebuild value €800,000
about €800 to €2,000 a year
Drone insurance
Commercial inspection drone up to 25 kg, €1 million limit
about €100 to €400 a year
For comparison: Operator's liability for a microlight costs about as much a year as two or three flying hours in the same aircraft.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax from our own quoting work,
as of September 2026.
Hardly any tariff examples are published for aircraft.
Hull insurance for the aircraft comes on top and, depending on value and use,
Six events flight schools and aviation businesses really know, all on one Saturday. Tap through and see who pays.
Damage so far€90,000
Pulling a training aircraft out of the hangar, its wing clips the tail of a visiting aircraft parked inside.
€18,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A student lands hard in a crosswind, the nose wheel collapses and a fence at the edge of the field is damaged.
€4,500 · Paid by: Business liability
A passenger on a pleasure flight is hurt on the wing while getting out.
€3,500 · Paid by: Business liability
A flight instructor falls off the wing while refuelling and breaks a wrist.
€8,000 · Paid by: Group accident insurance
Hail damages the spare parts in the open store and the hangar roof.
€26,000 · Paid by: Commercial buildings
The aviation medical examiner finds a heart rhythm disorder in the owner, and her medical is suspended. The pension with a loss of flying fitness clause pays in the first year.
€30,000 · Paid by: Occupational disability
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €90,000
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Check that your operator's liability meets the EU Regulation minimums for the actual take off mass, especially after modifications.
Passengers and students must be recorded per seat in passenger liability; paid pleasure flights need commercial cover.
Hangar keeper's liability covers damage to third party aircraft kept in your hangar, which operator's liability does not.
Maintenance organisations need aviation product liability; general public liability policies almost always exclude aviation products.
Income protection and accident cover must expressly include aviation risks and loss of flying fitness, otherwise the cover is missing exactly where you work.
If you use drones commercially you need separate drone liability; German law requires it.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We find the specialists
Only a few insurers write aviation risks. As a broker we approach several and compare limits, deductibles and exclusions.
We know what settling a claim means
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. After a landing accident we bring loss adjuster, insurer and maintenance shop together so your aircraft flies again quickly.
Flight operations and private in one place
Operator's liability, hangar, loss of licence and your personal provision all run through us.
Family run since 1989
Free for you; the insurer pays our commission. You have named contacts who know your fleet.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Is aviation liability insurance compulsory?
Yes.
Under § 43 LuftVG every aircraft operator must hold liability insurance,
and the minimum limits are set out in EU Regulation 785/2004.
Do flight schools need passenger liability?
If students or passengers are on board, yes.
The cover is agreed per seat and is needed in addition to operator's liability.
What does insurance for a training aircraft cost?
In our experience, operator's and passenger liability for a single engine training aircraft
usually come to €1,000 to €2,500 a year, with hull cover on top depending on value.
Does standard income protection cover loss of licence?
Not automatically.
Pilots need a clause that recognises the loss of flying fitness as a claim.
Which Berufsgenossenschaft is responsible?
For aviation businesses and flight schools the BG Verkehr,
Germany's statutory accident insurer for transport.
Membership is compulsory for employed pilots, flight instructors and engineers.
Do I need separate insurance for drones?
Yes.
Drones are aircraft too, operator's liability is compulsory,
and commercial use needs commercial cover.
NAMMERT insurance broker
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