As we close in on the conclusion of a fantastic business environment in 2025, and as I have noted in previous columns, we have seen some turbulent times in aviation insurance this past year. The “turbulence,” however, is a very positive thing for consumers who are seeing softening rates and additional underwriting options and capacity.
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The last weeks of the year will see a hurried pace of closings for aircraft buyers looking to capitalize on bonus depreciation tax incentives for year-end purchases. We at Wings are seeing a record number of submissions for new and pre-owned aircraft purchases being worked through the Christmas holiday season.
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It is always challenging to manage last-minute insurance requests in a month that sees early office closings with brokers and insurers, and two holiday breaks when seemingly everyone is away from the office. It is always best practice to allow your insurance broker a solid week’s time, following receipt of the formal application information, to fully shop your policy and receive replies from all viable insurers.
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With turbine-class aircraft, most insurers still rely on a human underwriting interface for insurance brokers, so it takes some time for all those “humans” to respond to the hundreds of submissions insurance carriers receive daily. If you wish to set yourself up for success and secure the sharpest, broadest policy available, allow your broker a solid week to work through their process.
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Certainly, deals can be hurried and quoted or bound within a few business days' time, but it’s very unlikely your broker is going to be able to be thorough with underwriting companies when given only a couple of days to work with. I always use the expression “help me help you,” which means providing complete information on the front end while also allowing me a solid business week to do my work in the underwriting market. The success of the broker and the quality of the insurance quote oftentimes depend on the time you allow a broker to do their work in the insurance underwriting market.
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I hope you all have a great end to the year and a successful 2026!
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