Airport Owners and Operators Liability Insurance

Aviation insurance includes markets for general aviation, commercial aviation, manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft components, and owners and operators of airports. Airport owner and operator liability insurance policies generally cover damages from injuries at airports or due to airport operations.

Premises liability coverage for airport owners and operators may cover a wide variety of occurrences, depending on the size of the airport and its passenger volume. Typically, policies for airport owners and operators cover liability to third parties for injuries occurring anywhere on airport property, including parking lots, walkways, elevators, and escalators. Such policies are likely also to cover any injuries arising out of activities necessary or incidental to airport activities.

To determine the breadth of the coverage of such policies, specific policy language should be reviewed. For example, it may be contended that an accident involving an aircraft that is taxiing or taking off is not covered under an airport owner liability policy even though the accident occurs on airport property. A commercial aviation liability policy is likely to define "in flight" as taking off but not taxiing, and taxiing may be the subject of other coverage. Thus, the specific language of the insuring agreement and other provisions of the airport owner and operator liability policy such as an "other insurance" provision would have to be reviewed to determine whether the policy provides coverage for such an accident.

Hangar-keeper's liability coverage is available to airport owners and operators and is analogous to garage-keeper's liability coverage. Such coverage provides protection against loss or damage to the property of others kept in or about the airport hangar.

Airport owners and operators may also obtain product liability coverage to insure against claims of third parties arising from malfunction of parts or products supplied to the owners and operators and used in the repair or maintenance of equipment or otherwise resold to the third parties.

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Areas of Practice

  • Appeals
  • Automobile Accidents
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