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Aviation insurance in Germany: keeper liability is compulsory, the rest is your call

If you keep an aircraft in Germany, from a paraglider to a single-engine aeroplane, you must hold liability insurance. German aviation law makes the keeper liable even without fault. Hull cover for the aircraft itself, passenger liability and accident cover are added depending on what you fly and how.

The question almost everyone asks first

Is aviation insurance compulsory in Germany?

Keeper liability is. Section 43 of the German Aviation Act (LuftVG) obliges the keeper of an aircraft to insure liability for damage to third parties, and section 102 of the Air Traffic Licensing Regulations (LuftVZO) sets out the contract. The minimum sum depends on maximum take-off mass: below 500 kg it is 750,000 units of account, roughly EUR 900,000. Carrying passengers requires separate cover. Hull and accident insurance are voluntary.

Why the keeper pays even when nobody made a mistake

German law treats aircraft more strictly than almost anything else people use in their spare time. If a bystander is harmed while the aircraft is in operation, the keeper is liable under sections 33 and following of the Aviation Act, whether or not anyone was at fault. In return, section 37 caps that liability, graded by maximum take-off mass.

Because this can hit any keeper, section 43 makes insurance compulsory. That applies to air sports equipment as well as registered aeroplanes: once a paraglider leaves the ground it is an aircraft in operation, and the insurance duty applies. The policy must be with an insurer authorised to do business in Germany, which is worth knowing if you arrive with cover from home.

The minimum sums: a European scale in German law

The scale comes from Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 and is mirrored in section 37 of the Aviation Act. For third-party damage it is 0.75 million Special Drawing Rights below 500 kg maximum take-off mass, 3 million below 2,700 kg and 7 million below 6,000 kg. A Special Drawing Right is a unit of account of the International Monetary Fund, and its value in euros moves.

For passengers the regulation requires at least 250,000 Special Drawing Rights per person, and section 103 of the Licensing Regulations states the same figure. These are floors. A serious injury can exceed them, which is why many policies carry flat limits of several million euros.

Paragliders, ultralights, gliders, powered aircraft: how cover is arranged

Paraglider and hang glider pilots usually insure through a group policy run by their association, something the Licensing Regulations expressly allow for unpowered air sports equipment. For ultralights, gliders and powered aircraft an individual policy is the norm, often a combined single limit (CSL) that covers third parties and passengers under one sum.

Club aircraft are insured by the club as keeper. If you rent or fly someone else's aircraft, find out before take-off whether you are covered as pilot and who pays for damage to the aircraft itself. Keeper liability never pays for the aircraft you fly.

Hull, passengers, accident: beyond the legal minimum

Hull insurance pays for damage to your own aircraft, in flight, while taxiing and on the ground, or on the ground only, depending on the policy. Look at the agreed value, the deductible and whether engine damage and wear are excluded.

Accident cover for pilot and occupants closes a gap many people miss: private accident and life policies often treat flying as a pilot separately. Check the terms of what you already hold.

What is covered

  • Injury and property damage to third parties outside the aircraft
  • Defence against unjustified claims
  • Compliance with compulsory insurance under the Aviation Act, with a certificate
  • Passenger claims where passenger liability is agreed
  • Personal liability of the authorised pilot, depending on the policy
  • Hull: damage to your own aircraft in flight, taxiing and on the ground, if agreed
  • Accident: disability and death of pilot and occupants, if agreed

What is not covered

  • Damage to your own or a borrowed aircraft without hull cover
  • Flights without a valid licence or rating, depending on the terms
  • Commercial flights under a policy for private use
  • Aerobatics and competitions unless included
  • Engine damage and wear under many hull policies
  • Countries outside the agreed territory

Who needs it

  • Keepers of paragliders, hang gliders, paramotors and parachutes
  • Owners of ultralights, gliders, motor gliders and powered aircraft
  • Clubs and owner groups operating aircraft together
  • Pilots who rent or fly aircraft they do not own and want their own liability covered

Who does not need it

  • Your own keeper policy if you only fly club aircraft and are demonstrably covered as pilot

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. Outlanding in a maize field, crop damage, usually modest. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Keeper liability pays the farmer. Damage to your own aircraft is a matter for hull cover.
  2. Paraglider hits a parked car, repair of someone else's car. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. A classic third-party claim. The keeper is liable even if a gust was to blame.
  3. Passenger injured on landing, injury claim, quickly six figures. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Plain keeper liability only covers people outside the aircraft. Passengers need passenger liability.
  4. Nose gear collapses while taxiing, repair of your own aircraft. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. No liability policy pays for your own aircraft. Hull cover must include the taxi risk.
  5. Pilot crashes and is disabled, income and adaptations for years. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Your own injuries are not a liability claim. Only accident cover that includes flying pays.
  6. Take-off with a lapsed licence, the whole loss. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. If the damage results from the missing licence, even a strong policy will not pay or will seek recourse.

What it costs

Keeper liability for a paraglider costs a fraction of what a powered aircraft costs. For hull cover, value and flying experience drive the premium. General ranges therefore say little.

What drives the premium

  • Type of aircraft and maximum take-off mass
  • Number of seats and whether you carry passengers
  • Sum insured above the legal minimum
  • Hull: value of the aircraft and deductible
  • Flying experience and who may fly
  • Use: private, club, training, towing
  • Territory

We do not quote ranges because premiums differ by orders of magnitude between a paraglider and an aeroplane. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.

The policy levels on the market

01

Keeper liability

The compulsory cover for third-party damage, with a certificate. Without it the aircraft may not fly.

02

Keeper and passenger liability (CSL)

One combined limit for third parties and passengers. Usual for two-seaters, ultralights, gliders and powered aircraft.

03

Liability plus hull and accident

Adds your own aircraft and protection for pilot and occupants. For owners whose aircraft has real value.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Third-party limit legal minimum by take-off mass a flat limit of several million euros The legal sum is a floor, and a serious injury can exceed it.
Passenger liability 250,000 units of account per passenger combined single limit for third parties and passengers You are separately liable to anyone you take along.
Who may fly named pilots only any authorised pilot In clubs and owner groups the pilot changes all the time.
Territory Germany Europe or worldwide, with a certificate in English Flying holidays and cross-country flights often end across a border.
Hull: flight, taxi, ground ground risk only all risks in flight, taxiing and on the ground Most damage happens on take-off and landing.
Hull deductible high or a percentage fixed and low, lower on the ground than in flight It decides what you are left with after a claim.
Use private only training, towing and competitions included Even a tow for the club can fall outside private use.

Insurers on the German market

Aviation is a specialist market in Germany. Cover is written by the aviation units of large insurers and a few specialists, and for air sports equipment often through association group policies. Not every insurer writes every type of aircraft. This list is a market overview.

InsurerBackground
AllianzAllianz's industrial and specialty insurer
AXAown aviation line, including private pilots
ZurichSwiss group, aviation insurance for business customers
GeneraliItalian group, also found in aviation group policies
HübenerHamburg insurer specialising in aviation
Euro-Aviationinsurer focused on aviation
Delvaginsurer within the Lufthansa group

From the BaFin register

61

61 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Luftfahrzeug-Haftpflicht)

Show all 61 names from the register
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Euro-Aviation Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Versicherungskammer Bayern Versicherungsanstalt des öffentlichen Rechts
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Keeper liability

The compulsory policy for every aircraft, for air sports equipment often through the association.

Passenger liability and CSL

For anyone carrying passengers: a sum per passenger or one combined limit.

Aviation hull insurance

For your own aircraft, as all risks cover or as ground risk only.

Aviation accident insurance

For pilot and occupants, also as a flat sum per seat.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

If I injure someone with my paraglider, my personal liability policy pays.

This is false.

As a rule it does not. Personal liability policies usually exclude the use of aircraft. You need keeper liability under the Aviation Act.

As keeper I am liable even if I did nothing wrong.

This is true.

True. The Aviation Act imposes strict liability. If a bystander is harmed in operation, the keeper is liable up to the statutory caps.

Without a valid licence I can lose my cover.

This is true.

Correct. Where the damage results from the pilot not holding a valid licence, keeper liability does not respond under many terms.

Keeper liability also replaces my own aircraft.

This is false.

No. It only pays for damage to others. Your own aircraft is insured through hull cover alone.

The minimum cover depends on the weight of the aircraft.

This is true.

Yes. Maximum take-off mass decides. Below 500 kg it is 750,000 units of account, and the sums rise in steps above that.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming personal liability insurance covers flying
  • Relying on a foreign policy without checking that it satisfies German law
  • Taking a passenger when the policy does not include passengers
  • Flying someone else's aircraft without knowing who the policy allows to fly
  • Taking off with an expired licence or medical
  • Flying abroad on a policy limited to Germany

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Do I need insurance for a paraglider in Germany?

Yes.

A paraglider is an aircraft once it leaves the ground,

and the keeper must insure liability under the Aviation Act.

Most pilots use their association's group policy.

Does German personal liability insurance cover flying?

As a rule, no.

Personal liability policies usually exclude the use of aircraft or only include small drones and

model aircraft.

Compulsory aviation liability needs its own policy or a group policy.

What is CSL?

Combined single limit: one sum insured for claims by third parties and by passengers.

It is common for two-seaters and aeroplanes because one policy meets both duties.

What applies if I carry passengers?

For the carriage of passengers,

section 103 of the Licensing Regulations sets a minimum of 250,000 units of account per person.

Check before the first flight that your policy includes passengers.

Will the insurer pay if my licence has lapsed?

That is risky.

Many policy terms release the insurer where the damage results from the pilot not holding a valid

licence.

Check licence, ratings and medical before every season.

Am I covered in a club aircraft?

The club is the keeper and must hold the liability policy.

Whether you are covered as pilot and who bears the hull deductible is set out in the policy and

the club rules.

Ask before you fly.

Can I get the certificate in English?

Many insurers issue the insurance certificate in English on request.

You will want it for airfields, competitions and flights outside Germany.

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