You insure a private aircraft in Germany in three parts. Owner liability (Halterhaftpflicht) is mandatory under section 43 of the Aviation Act; below 2,700 kg take-off mass EU law requires at least 3 million special drawing rights, about EUR 3.6 million. For a Cessna 172 it costs from about EUR 410 a year. Hull and seat accident cover are voluntary; passengers need their own liability cover.
Owner liability single engine, 490 kg, EUR 1 million, worldwide excluding USA and Canada
about EUR 280 a year, net
Owner liability motor glider up to 999 kg
from about EUR 80 a year
Passenger liability Cessna 172, EUR 600,000 for personal injury
from about EUR 250 a year per passenger seat
Hull Cessna 172, sum EUR 100,000, EUR 1,000 deductible
from about EUR 1,365 a year
Entry prices from published tariffs, as of October 2026.
Euro values of SDR are calculated at about EUR 1.20 and change with the exchange rate.
The total in the worked example is a guide value from our quoting practice;
your premium depends on aircraft, experience, base and sums.
We obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Four seater, 1,200 kg, worth EUR 100,000, one owner
How the annual premium adds up if you insure liability, three passenger seats and hull.
Owner liability, EUR 4 million
from about EUR 410
Passenger liability, 3 seats at EUR 250
from about EUR 750
Hull, sum EUR 100,000, EUR 1,000 deductible
from about EUR 1,365
Together from about EUR 2,500 a year. Without hull, about EUR 1,160 for liability and passengers.
Owner liability is mandatory
Anyone who keeps an aircraft in Germany must have liability insurance under section 43 of the Aviation Act (Luftverkehrsgesetz). It pays when your aircraft injures people on the ground or damages property outside the aircraft, for example during an emergency landing in a field or a taxiing accident at the airfield.
The minimum cover is set by EU Regulation 785/2004 according to maximum take-off mass. Amounts are in special drawing rights (SDR), a unit of account of the International Monetary Fund; at the end of September 2026 one SDR was worth about EUR 1.20.
Maximum take-off mass
Minimum cover per accident
About in euros
below 500 kg
750,000 SDR
0.9 million
below 1,000 kg
1.5 million SDR
1.8 million
below 2,700 kg
3 million SDR
3.6 million
below 6,000 kg
7 million SDR
8.4 million
Why the legal minimum for an aircraft is tight
Strict liability of the aircraft keeper is capped under section 37 of the Aviation Act, for personal injury at EUR 600,000 per person. If you or the pilot are found at fault, however, general civil law applies without a cap, and your private assets can be at stake.
That is why many owners choose sums above the minimum for their aircraft. The extra cost is small: a published tariff for a Cessna 172 starts at EUR 410 a year for EUR 4 million of cover.
Passengers need separate cover
Owner liability only covers damage outside the aircraft. If a passenger is injured in a hard landing, it does not pay. For that there is passenger liability insurance (Passagierhaftpflicht), priced per seat, or a combined single limit policy covering third parties and passengers together.
Even if you only take friends along occasionally and without payment, you are liable for their injuries if you are at fault. Passenger liability for a Cessna 172 starts at about EUR 250 a year per passenger seat.
Hull cover for your own aircraft
Aviation hull insurance (Luftfahrtkasko) pays for damage to your own aircraft: crash landing, off-field landing, taxiing damage, fire, hail, storm, theft and vandalism. For partial damage it pays the repair minus the deductible, for a total loss the current value up to the sum insured.
Usually excluded are internal engine damage, flights without a valid licence or with overloading and pilots not named in the pilot clause. In cases of gross negligence, such as flying into bad weather, the insurer may reduce payment under section 81 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG).
When you can skip hull cover
For an older aircraft with a low market value, hull cover may hardly pay off, because premium and deductible quickly add up to a large share of its value. If you could absorb a loss yourself, liability and passenger cover may be enough.
It is different for financed aircraft, where the bank normally requires hull cover. If you share the aircraft in a syndicate, have every pilot named in the pilot clause.
Seat accident cover and licence
Seat accident insurance (Sitzplatzunfallversicherung) pays a fixed sum for accidental death or disability of people on board, regardless of fault. It is voluntary and does not replace passenger liability.
Professional pilots may also think about loss of licence cover. For private pilots flying their aircraft at weekends it is usually not needed.
Step by step
Find the maximum take-off mass in the aircraft documents.
Set the liability sum, ideally above the legal minimum.
State the number of passenger seats or choose a combined limit.
Decide on hull cover based on value, financing and your own reserves.
Name all pilots with licence and flight hours for the pilot clause.
Checklist
Proof of insurance on board
Liability sum at least as required for the weight class
Passengers covered by separate or combined liability
Pilot clause lists everyone who flies
Territorial scope matches your destinations
Hull sum matches current value
Common mistakes
Insuring only the legal minimum
Assuming passengers are covered by owner liability
Not adding a new co-pilot to the pilot clause
Not adjusting the hull sum after buying or upgrading avionics
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How do I insure a private aircraft I share with others?
The keeper is the syndicate or the registered owner.
Make sure every member is named in the pilot clause and the hull policy reflects shared use.
Does my personal liability insurance cover the aircraft?
No.
Personal liability policies (Privathaftpflicht) exclude aircraft apart from small drones and
models.
You need owner liability cover.
What are special drawing rights?
A unit of account of the International Monetary Fund based on several currencies.
At the end of September 2026 one SDR was worth about EUR 1.20.
Do I need more cover when flying abroad?
Other liability rules can apply in the destination country.
Before the flight, check that your policy's territorial scope includes the country and the sum is
sufficient there.
Does hull insurance pay for engine failure?
Internal engine damage is usually excluded.
Consequential damage, for example after an emergency landing, is often covered.
Who arranges the insurance?
Norman Nammert arranges cover as an insurance broker.
The commission is paid by the insurer, so the service is free for you.
