War risk insurance is a type of insurance which covers damage due to acts of war, including invasion, insurrection, rebellion and hijacking. Some policies also cover damage due to weapons of mass destruction. It is most commonly used in the shipping and aviation industries. Unlike regular insurance policies, war risk policies do not include a broad war exclusion clause.
War risk insurance generally has two components: war risk liability, which covers people and items inside the craft and is calculated based on the indemnity amount; and war risk hull, which covers the craft itself and is calculated based on the value of the craft. The premium varies based on the expected stability of the countries to which the vessel will travel.Insurance Coverage for War Risks, Hijacking and Other Related Perils, June 2002 (nbaa.org)Flying To Europe? Think Again… E.U. Insurance Regulation Update, April 2005 (nbaa.org)
Private war risk insurance policies for aircraft were temporarily cancelled following the September 11, 2001 attacksWar Risk Insurance Coverage (srz.com) and later reinstated with substantially lower indemnities.War Risk Insurance (iata.org) In the wake of this cancellation, the US Congress passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to backstop insurance policies offered to commercial airlines.War-risk insurance program for airlines up for renewal, Chicago Business Journal, Aug. 10, 2006. The International Air Transport Association has argued that airlines operating in states which do not provide war risk insurance are at a competitive disadvantage in this area.
See also Political risk insurance Democratic peace theory
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