QBE Aviation
Sydney, NSW, Australia
QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited is the Australian operating insurer behind QBE's aviation and RPAS cover. Its public materials support a broad aviation appetite including private aircraft, airlines, RPAs, non-owned liability, aerial agriculture, hangarkeeper's liability, ground handlers, refuellers and airport-area businesses. Distribution is not purely online: QBE says aviation cover is available directly, through brokers and through authorised representatives, with SAAA also publishing a member arrangement for sports/recreational aircraft.
Contact
Websiteqbe.com
Email[email protected]
Phone+61 3 8602 9900
Contact formqbe.com
Applicationqmdocumentlibrary.qbe.com
LinkedInlinkedin.com
Best for
- Australian aircraft owners and pilots needing a recognized aviation underwriter
- Aviation businesses, airports, hangars, ground handlers and refuellers
- Commercial drone/RPAS operators with appropriate RePL/ReOC or approved training
- SAAA members and sports/recreational aviation participants who meet program requirements
- Buyers who prefer carrier strength and specialist claims support over a fully online quote flow
Potential drawbacks
- No public instant online aviation quote flow located
- Independent aviation-specific reviews are mostly forum anecdotes rather than formal ratings
- Eligibility and pricing may be sensitive to aircraft registration, pilot history, claims, training, aircraft type and use
- Some forum users report premium increases, claim friction or restrictions for RA-Aus/SAAA edge cases
Coverage and fit
Aircraft segments
Coverage lines
Borrower segments
Not listed.
Usage segments
Research signals
Reputation score
Not scored
Signal strength
moderate
Sources
18
Independent aviation-specific public discussion is available mainly in Australian recreational aviation forums rather than formal review platforms. The forum signal is mixed: QBE is treated as a real and recurring aviation market, including through SAAA and broker/co-underwritten arrangements, with some users reporting satisfactory claim outcomes and others criticizing eligibility limits, cost, premium increases after claims, or claim friction. Broader QBE review platforms are not aviation-specific and should be weighted lightly for aviation buyers.
Positive themes
- Several aviation forum participants describe QBE or QBE-backed policies as paying claims when needed.
- QBE appears in current Australian aviation discussions as a known market for recreational, VH-registered and RA-Aus top-up insurance through brokers or affinity arrangements.
- SAAA presents the QBE arrangement as tailored for sports and amateur-built aircraft members with safety-program participation benefits.
- A December 2024 forum post described a 50% QBE / 50% Agile policy with RA-Aus top-up features, no premium increase that year, and broker advice viewed positively.
Negative themes
- Some forum users report premium increases or high cost after claims.
- A November 2023 forum participant said they would not recommend QBE via SAAA after an eligibility issue tied to RA-Aus registration.
- One forum participant said QBE paid a write-off after a struggle, suggesting claim handling may require persistence in some cases.
- Formal independent aviation-specific star-rating review volume was not located.
Forum themes
- Australian pilots compare QBE with brokers and alternative aviation insurers.
- Forum discussions focus heavily on liability limits, passenger liability, RA-Aus/SAAA eligibility, hull versus liability cover, and whether premium cost justifies hull coverage.
- Broker involvement is repeatedly described as important for specialist aviation insurance placement.
- Tailwheel, experimental, recreational and non-standard aircraft are discussed as harder or more expensive risks.
Sources