Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Seeing aircraft insurance premiums increasing well in the double-digits year-over-year, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has been working with insurance industry executives and underwriters on strategies for pilots to help buffer the sharp rate hikes.
“We’ve been spending quite a bit of time to understand what’s been happening in the insurance space and come up with strategies to help educate pilots about what they can do to help mitigate the increases,” said AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker.
Rates are going up “pretty dramatically,” particularly in the owner-flown turbine market, said Tom Haines, senior v-p of media and outreach for AOPA, adding some are seeing increases in the 15 percent to 25 percent range and “some way more than that.” This is especially true for owners who are transitioning into turbines, Haines said. For the owner-flown market, which has to absorb the costs on their own, “that’s serious dollars.”
Baker added that some potential buyers are now walking away from new aircraft sales once they learn the insurance costs that are coming with it. Mitigation strategies are important, Baker said, because with the current state of the aviation insurance market, “There are going to be increases.”
Aviation insurers, and especially in the general aviation niche, have lost money for most of the past decade as rates have softened. In fact, in the past year the number of aviation of underwriters has dropped from 18 to 12.
But Baker said this is more than just a market correction for the insurance industry. Insurance costs for the two&nbsp;Boeing Max fatal accidents are estimated to top $1 billion. Add to that other events, such as the fatal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-05-04/ntsb-southwest-airlines-followed-engine-inspection-protocol">2018 Southwest Airlines catastrophic engine failure</a>. That is against a backdrop where the total premium intake in the U.S. across all modes of aviation is in the neighborhood of $1.5 billion.
AOPA has worked with NBAA and insurance executives on various strategies. Among them are sharing training protocols and other efforts to enhance safety, Haines said, stressing that exceeding minimum safety standards is key in an insurance underwriter’s consideration of rates.
Baker cautioned against being too anxious to switch insurers. It helps when the underwriter “knows your story,” he said. This is especially critical if an owner is stepping into a turbine from a piston.

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

AOPA Warns of Spikes in Aircraft Insurance Rates

Aircraft owners are seeing insurance rate hikes of between 15 percent and 25 percent, and "some way more than that," according to AOPA.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Book outlines major steps, costs, and potential pitfalls

Duncan Aviation Updates Business Jet Buyer/Seller Guide

Charles Alcock

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

Tax on jet-A fuel would apply to all aircraft with fewer than 19 seats

EBAA and GAMA Oppose New European Aviation Fuel Tax

The tie-up brings together long-time legal and tax consulting practices

Lapayowker To Buy Aviation Financial Consulting

Curt Epstein

New functionality will be demonstrated at NBAA-BACE 2025

Amstat Enhances Premier+ Aircraft Broker Platform

Large-cabin demand returns as buyers refocus globally

Preowned Jet Market Stabilizes into Fourth Quarter

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

U.S. start-up shares plans to expand its portfolio 

Beta Set for IPO with Plans for More Electric Aircraft

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

However, tariffs remain in place with aerospace sectors in Brazil and Switzerland

Industry Relieved over Zero-rated EU Aerospace Tariffs

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

In this article

AOPA Finance

More In Finance, Taxes, Insurance