INDUSTRY
Aircraft Detailing Insurance and FBO Ramp Access
An aircraft detailer needs aviation general liability and hangarkeepers liability insurance, because a standard general liability policy typically excludes aircraft and aircraft in your care. Fixed-base operators (FBOs) and airports grant ramp access to insured, identified vendors under their own rules. Expect to show a certificate of insurance, which may need to name the airport owner as additional insured.
Why doesn't a standard general liability policy cover aircraft detailing?
A standard commercial general liability (CGL) policy does not fit aircraft detailing because of two exclusions. The standard CGL form excludes aircraft owned, operated, rented or loaned to the insured, and it excludes property in the insured's care, custody or control. IRMI's commentary explains the first. A customer's aircraft on your wash rack falls in that gap.
The aviation insurance broker USADG puts it plainly: a standard CGL policy typically excludes aviation exposures. Aviation general liability covers premises, products and completed operations for aviation businesses.
What is hangarkeepers liability insurance?
Hangarkeepers liability insurance covers damage to other people's aircraft while they are in your care, custody and control. IRMI defines it as cover for aircraft held for storage, repair or safekeeping. For an aircraft detailer it is the policy that answers when a customer's aircraft is damaged during the work.
Brokers such as BWI Aviation Insurance write it for FBOs, repair shops and other aviation businesses, often alongside premises liability. Limits are chosen against the value of the aircraft you work on.
What insurance do airports and FBOs ask detailers for?
Airports and FBOs ask aircraft detailers for proof of insurance that meets their minimum standards. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) names minimum insurance and indemnity among the factors airports set for commercial operators, in AC 150/5190-8. Expect a certificate of insurance, set limits, and the airport owner named as additional insured.
Two public examples show the pattern. Washington State's airport insurance standards require naming the state as additional insured and hangarkeepers for anyone storing or servicing others' aircraft. Georgia's sample airport minimum standards do the same. A broker will also ask about employees and vehicles, which follow state law.
How does an FBO decide who works on its ramp?
An FBO decides who works on its ramp under its own security and safety rules. The TSA's general aviation security guidelines advise FBOs to identify vendors and contractors before ramp access and decide when they need supervision. The guidelines also suggest a vehicle policy with ID checks, a ramp access log and a work order as proof of need.
The guidelines are recommendations, not regulation, and each FBO applies them its own way. Tenants are responsible for their own facilities, so the FBO's answer is the one that counts on its ramp.
Do you need a badge to work on the ramp?
A badge is required at airports with a complete TSA security program, which serve larger scheduled or public charter passenger flights. Under 49 CFR 1542.205, unescorted access to the security identification display area needs airport ID media, a criminal history records check and training. Most general aviation airports have no such area.
At general aviation airports, ID cards are optional and set by the airport, and the FBO identifies or escorts vendors. Ask the airport manager and the FBO what they require before the first job, and keep the documentation they issue with your insurance certificates.
Can an airport require a permit for a mobile detailer?
An airport can require a permit for a mobile detailer. The FAA's AC 150/5190-8 recommends a licensing or permit process for single-service operators such as aircraft washing, often with a yearly fee or a share of receipts. Owners may wash their own aircraft with their own employees, but that right cannot be contracted out.
The FAA's AC 150/5190-6 protects that owner self-service right at federally obligated airports, under reasonable rules. A detailer hired by the owner is a commercial operator, so the airport's standards for commercial operators apply.
Are there rules for washing aircraft on the ramp?
Washing aircraft on the ramp follows the airport's environmental rules. The FAA's AC 150/5320-15A says the US EPA treats wash water as process wastewater. It goes to the sanitary sewer or is pretreated, never into storm drains, and airports designate wash areas for it.
Driving on the airfield follows the airport's vehicle rules. The FAA's AC 150/5210-20A guides airports on training drivers, and the airport decides what applies on its aprons.
Learn more
GTA Academy by Global Ties Aviation covers insurance, airport access and agreements in Module 4; see GTA Academy. Owners can book aircraft detailing with Global Ties Aviation, and the services page lists every service.
FAQ
How much does aircraft detailing insurance cost?
Premiums depend on the limits required, the value of the aircraft you work on, your experience and claims history, and the insurer. A licensed aviation broker quotes it; this article gives no figures.
Does my car detailing insurance cover aircraft?
Usually not. Standard general liability insurance typically excludes aviation exposures and property in your care. Ask your broker in writing.
Who decides whether I can work at an FBO?
The FBO and the airport, under their minimum standards, security rules and contracts.
Can the owner just let me wash the aircraft?
The owner's self-service right covers the owner's own employees. A hired detailer is a commercial operator under the airport's rules.
Sources
- IRMI, The auto exclusion in the CGL policy (exclusion g; exclusion j(4) care, custody or control): https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/the-auto-exclusion-in-the-cgl-policy
- USADG, Aviation general liability insurance (13 July 2026): https://usadg.com/intelligence-brief/aviation-general-liability-insurance/
- IRMI, hangar keepers liability: https://www.irmi.com/term/insurance-definitions/hangar-keepers-liability
- BWI Aviation Insurance, Hangarkeepers Liability Insurance: https://bwifly.com/commercial-aviation-insurance/hangarkeepers-liability-insurance/
- FAA AC 150/5190-8, Minimum Standards for Commercial Aeronautical Activities (paragraphs 1.2.6, 1.3.2, 1.3.3): https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC-150-5190-8-minimum-standards.pdf
- FAA AC 150/5190-6, Exclusive Rights at Federally-Obligated Airports (paragraph 1.3.a.2): https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_150_5190-6.pdf
- WSDOT, State Owned Airports Minimum Standards for Insurance (1 July 2026): https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2026-07/WSDOT-State-Owned-Airport-Insurance-Minimum-Standards-06162026-ADA.pdf
- Georgia DOT, Sample Airport Minimum Standards: https://www.dot.ga.gov/InvestSmart/Aviation/Forms/SampleAirportMinStandards.pdf
- TSA, Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airport Operators and Users (30 July 2025): https://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/ga-security-guidelines-july2025.pdf
- 49 CFR 1542.205, security identification display area: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-XII/subchapter-C/part-1542/subpart-C/section-1542.205
- FAA AC 150/5320-15A, Management of Airport Industrial Waste (paragraphs 12.22, 12.24): https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_150_5320-15A.pdf
- FAA AC 150/5210-20A, Ground Vehicle Operations: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/150-5210-20A.pdf
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Everything in this article maps to a documented Global Ties Aviation service or process. Ask the advisor below, or go straight to the source.