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Drone Insurance Australia

Get the right protection when using your commercial drone by comparing quotes with Savvy. 

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, updated on July 17th, 2023       

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We’ve partnered with BizCover to bring you a range of business insurance policies to help you compare them side by side.

Compare drone insurance offers in Australia

Many businesses today are making use of drones for a wide variety of purposes, so it’s important to know your options for cover. Drone insurance in Australia can cover not only your drone if it’s lost or damaged, but liability in case a third party’s property is damaged or other liability claims arise from your business drone use. 

 You can compare a range of quotes for commercial drone insurance online right here with Savvy. Our quick and simple process will help you find the cover you need from respected insurers in just a few minutes. Get the protection your business needs today with an obligation-free quote.

What is drone insurance?

Drone insurance covers risks associated with the commercial use of drones, which are now also referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs). It will cover the costs associated with the following situations: 

  • Your drone is lost or damaged
  • The payload it’s carrying is lost or damaged (in certain situations)
  • It causes loss or injury to a third party
  • It damages another person’s property

Many drone insurance policies only cover the commercial use of a drone in a business setting, although there are policies available that can cover recreational usage. 

What types of business insurance can I buy for my drone?

Drone insurance is an area of business insurance primarily consisting of two types of coverage. They are: 

Public liability  

Public liability insurance covers businesses against the possibility of injuring someone (a third party) or causing damage to their property. This could be directly, such as your drone hitting a person, or indirectly, with injuries or damage caused by your inadvertent or indirect action. 

For example, a drone’s payload could fall on someone from a height, or a low-flying drone could distract the driver of a moving car, which results in a crash indirectly caused by your drone operation. Drone insurance can offer up to $20 million in public liability coverage in case of a claim made against you. 

Equipment insurance 

Equipment insurance is coverage up to an agreed value which will cover the loss or damage to your drone, equipment you use to operate the drone or goods or assets you carry using the drone. These include: 

  • iPads or tablets used to control and fly the drone
  • Transport cases or specialised suitcases used to store and transport the drone
  • Cameras which are attached to the drone
  • Infrared sensing equipment (if the drone is used in search and rescue situations)
  • Specialised scientific or medical equipment (for example, if the drone is used to carry out scientific research or deliver urgent medical supplies to remote locations)

The amount of insurance coverage you’re able to access for equipment damage will depend on what sort of payload your drone will carry and the value of those cameras and equipment. Naturally, the more expensive the equipment to be insured is, the higher the cost of your premiums

What is and isn’t covered by drone insurance?

In addition to the above areas, drone insurance can cover such items as: 

  1. Replacing the hull/shell/body of your drone
  2. The cost of spare parts to replace damaged elements of your drone
  3. The cost of repair or replacement of any permitted payload the drone is carrying (for example, cameras or sensing equipment)
  4. Copyright or privacy infringements (if a claim is made that your drone operation infringed on a third party’s privacy or copyright)
  5. Transit, to cover your drone while it’s being transported to the flight location
  6. The cost of fines or compensation if you were using a rented/leased/hired drone and it sustained damage or was lost

It’s very important to keep up to date with drone legislation, as it’s a field that is rapidly changing as drone technology advances. Not adhering to drone air safety regulations could render your drone insurance invalid, such as if you were flying your drone in a prohibited area, above a crowd of people or breaking flight safety regulations in any other way. 

Generally, drone insurance won’t cover you for: 

  1. Flights that weren’t logged or don’t have flight log data to prove what happened during the incident
  2. Drone flights that are considered reckless or in contravention of Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (CASR)
  3. Drones that aren’t registered or are flown without displaying proper identification numbers
  4. Drones that have not been maintained property, or have incorrect battery charging cycles which have not been recorded as required by legislation

When considering whether you need this type of business insurance, look at the other insurance policies you may already have in place (such as business assets or general liability insurance) to make sure you aren’t already covered or paying for insurance you don’t need.  

You can compare quotes for your business’ drone insurance needs right here with Savvy to help you choose the best deal with more confidence. By comparing offers, you can be safe in the knowledge you’ll be covered in the areas which need covering.

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Frequently asked questions about drone liability insurance

How much does drone insurance cost?

The cost of drone insurance isn’t set in stone and will depend on a variety of factors, including the following: 

  • The purpose of the drone use
  • The type, size and model of the drone
  • Whether the use of the drone is governed by any management plan, operational restrictions or logged take-off and landing configurations
  • The qualifications and experience of the drone pilots
  • If any other liability insurance policies are owned by the drone operators
  • The insurance history and any past claims made by the drone owner
  • The size and nature of your business
  • The number of drones in operation

 

The state in which the drone will be operated will also have a bearing on the cost of insurance, with business insurance in Queensland and other northern states and territories generally costing more than in southern states. 

Does my drone have to be registered to comply with Civil Aviation Safety Regulations?

Yes – if your drone weighs over 2kg, it must be registered with the Civil Aviation Authority and you’ll be issued a licencing number which must be displayed on the aircraft when it’s in use.

Will my drone insurance cover me for recreational use too?

Not always – most business insurance packages will cover drone usage for commercial purposes (including scientific, research and humanitarian purposes) but will not cover drones for fun recreational use. However, there are insurance policies available for recreational drone use by the general public, so you may find that you’re covered for this type of usage also.

Does drone insurance also cover all payloads a drone may be carrying?

No – the insurance doesn’t automatically cover all drone payloads: only permitted and recorded ones. When issuing the insurance policy, the insurer will need to know exactly what the drone is to be fitted with or will carry, which will form part of the insurance policy inclusions.

Is drone insurance tied to a particular operator, or can any pilot fly it?

Similar to car insurance, the main drone operator’s experience and details will be used to determine the cost of the insurance policy. Other named pilots can be added to the policy if multiple operators are going to be responsible for flying the drone.

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