08 January 2026
Lead Lines
Navigating Turbulence: Challenges and Evolution in Aviation Underwriting
A Plane Talking contribution by Cristina Quintero, Head of Aviation, Space & Marine, MAPFRE Global Risks
Aviation underwriters can hardly afford to become complacent or even bored. I have been underwriting aviation risks for over 20 years, and every day brings new challenges, doubts, problems and decisions. We never stop learning and evolving to support our clients’ journey.
Every global event, as expected, involves and affects the aviation sector. In recent years, we have faced a range of unforeseen situations and have adapted quickly to the industry’s needs and realities. From the COVID-19 pandemic, which grounded global fleets, to the war in Ukraine and its consequences, as well as the current geopolitical turbulence, as insurers, we should be able to anticipate events; however, in a world as unpredictable as ours, we must at least be able to react very quickly to provide solutions to the challenges we encounter.
Regarding the current market, it's no secret that we have had excess capacity for several years, which has prevented the market from reaching the level necessary to remain sustainable in the long term. This has led companies to withdraw from underwriting in this sector, while others struggle to remain profitable; however, significant capacity remains available. This situation is particularly evident in the airline segment, where the global nature of placements often makes it difficult to achieve the desired technical discipline. Adding recent events to this scenario highlights the need for an effective response to achieve sustainable premium levels for our industry. This year and especially in the last quarter, we are seeing upward movements, but I believe there is still a long way to go to reach a technically coherent premium. Inflation, the use of increasingly complex and expensive equipment, as well as the cost of claims in countries such as the USA, reinforce the need for premium raising.
Conversely, general aviation underwriting is more local and understanding how each market operates is essential. The same risk in different regions should be priced according to their specific circumstances. For us, it's crucial to offer personalised services and have in-depth knowledge of each country's particularities, as legislative differences and local practices significantly impact claims handling and the premium required for each risk. In our opinion, having local teams is a key factor in successful underwriting.
“This year and especially in the last quarter, we are seeing upward movements, but I believe there is still a long way to go to reach a technically coherent premium.”
- Cristina Quintero
The air transport industry has intensified its efforts toward sustainability, adopting measures to reduce carbon emissions, such as the use of sustainable fuels, route optimisation, and the development of cleaner and more efficient technologies. Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 has become a strategic priority for our customers. This evolution introduces new and emerging risks that we must take into consideration.
On our side, we must leverage technological advances and all the information available to evolve our underwriting practices, just as our clients are rapidly transforming their operations.
One aspect that is gaining increasing importance is the impact of climate change on the aviation industry and how these effects should be reflected in our underwriting. We are experiencing severe losses due to weather events, and we must include these factors in our modelling. Analysing main operational bases, hangar locations, and their exposure to risks would enable real differentiation in pricing. We should adopt the best practices of property underwriters and, beyond considering natural hazards, pay attention to fire safety measures and construction materials. For example, in an MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility, a property underwriter might send an engineer to assess construction quality and fire protection, even if the policy only covers the hangar itself. Aviation policies insure the most valuable assets, such as aircraft and spare parts, yet rarely account for these fire protection measures.
Finally, I also believe it's crucial to address the generational transition. Ensuring that new generations of underwriters integrate the experience we share with their innate aptitude for new technologies will be key to our industry's performance in the medium term. In line with this, those of us with greater experience must serve as a support resource for underwriters, analysts, and sales teams, promoting responsible underwriting aligned with market best practices and our companies' internal guidelines.
In summary, the aviation insurance industry faces a complex and challenging but fascinating scenario; however, I’m confident that, as we have done throughout our history, we will overcome these challenges with the utmost rigour and discipline.
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