What UAV & Drone Insurance Covers
A comprehensive drone insurance programme typically comprises four main sections, which can be purchased individually or as a package depending on the operator's needs and regulatory requirements.
Hull Insurance
Physical damage or total loss of the drone itself — crash, collision, fly-away, water ingress and fire. Agreed or market value basis depending on the drone's age and type.
Third-Party Liability (TPL)
Legal liability for bodily injury or property damage caused to third parties by drone operation. Particularly important for commercial operators; specific requirements should be verified with SHGM under SHT-İHA.
Payload & Equipment
Cameras, sensors, thermal imaging systems, LiDAR scanners and other payload equipment mounted on or carried by the drone.
Loss of Licence
Financial loss arising from the suspension or revocation of an operator's SHGM UAV licence following an insured incident — subject to policy terms and insurer appetite.
SHGM SHT-İHA: Turkey's Current UAV Regulation
The Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation (SHGM) regulates unmanned aerial vehicles under the SHT-İHA (İnsansız Hava Aracı Sistemleri Talimatı), published 30 July 2026, which superseded the preceding SHGM instruction on unmanned aerial vehicle systems. The new regulation introduces a pilot licence-level system — P0 (amateur), P1 (commercial) and P2 (advanced) — replacing the previous primarily weight-based authorisation model. Key requirements under SHT-İHA include operator registration, pilot licence category, remote identification, geofencing compliance, and restrictions on airspace use. Existing licence holders have a transition period until 31 July 2027. Operators should verify current SHGM requirements at ihatakip.shgm.gov.tr and with a licensed broker, as regulatory details may be updated during the transition period.
Commercial UAV operators in Turkey are generally advised to carry third-party liability (TPL) insurance. Specific insurance obligations may arise from applicable civil aviation regulations, SHGM operational permit conditions, or sector-specific rules — operators should verify the precise requirements at ihatakip.shgm.gov.tr during the SHT-İHA transition period. Toy-grade UAVs classified as exempt under SHT-İHA are not subject to the same registration and licence obligations as other UAVs.
Weight Classes and Risk Profiles
The weight of the UAV is a primary factor in both regulatory category and insurance pricing. Insurers assess risk differently across weight bands:
- Sub-2 kg (hobby and light commercial): Lower kinetic energy impact in a crash; simpler underwriting; lower TPL limits generally required
- 2–25 kg (professional commercial): Inspection, mapping, precision agriculture, aerial photography — the main commercial sector; more detailed underwriting required
- 25 kg+ (heavy commercial and cargo): Agricultural spraying drones, cargo UAVs; highest TPL limits; underwriters assess operator safety management systems in detail
Different Risk Profiles, Different Requirements
Commercial Operations
Commercial UAV operations — where the operator is paid for the service (inspection, surveying, agriculture, filming, delivery) — attract stricter underwriting standards. Insurers assess the operator's SHGM licence category, flight log records, safety management procedures, type of operations (BVLOS — beyond visual line of sight, or VLOS), and the environments in which operations take place (urban, rural, over infrastructure, near airports). Higher TPL limits are standard for commercial operations, and some sectors (energy infrastructure inspection, for example) require sub-limits or specific endorsements.
Recreational Operations
Recreational drone flying carries a different risk profile — typically lower flight frequency, lower-value drones, and operations in less congested airspace. Cover is available and generally simpler to place, but recreational policies do not extend to any commercially paid-for flight activity. Operating a recreational-only drone commercially without the appropriate commercial policy is a breach of both insurance conditions and SHGM regulations.