Here are some of the Highest Airline Insurance Claims in the Recent Past

Post the tragic Ahmedabad Air India plane crash, the attention and consciousness into viewing the past instances of crashes has heightened. Many videos of Airline owners and CEOs questioned and investigated for their attitude and planning towards security checks and technical checks are surfacing. 

Most of the airline failures and resulting crashes have been devastating in terms of casualties and the reasons behind such fatality. Majority of them are either technical mishandle from the pilot or miscalculations in weather and runway overshoot, at least in the cases of some of the deadliest crashes. 

Here are some of the Deadliest crashes and the insurance claims

1. Air India Express Flight 1344 – Kozhikode Crash (2020)

A devastating crash recorded on August 7, 2020 where an Air India Express Flight 1344 crash-landed near the Kozhikode International Airport during heavy rain. The Boeing 737 overshot the tabletop runway and fell into a valley, splitting into two and killing the 2 pilots and several passengers. 

On Aug 7, 2020, Air India Express 1344 from Dubai overran Kozhikode’s tabletop runway, into the ravine, killing 21 of 190 on board. The Vande Bharat flight was bringing back Indians stranded due to Covid-19. An unusual factor in this crash: Ayurvedic anti-diabetic drugs. 1/n pic.twitter.com/kLYOCruzIl

— PKR | প্রশান্ত | پرشانتو (@prasanto) June 4, 2022

Air India Express filed an insurance claim, and the payout became the largest-ever in Indian aviation history.

• Year: 2020
  
• Flight Route: Dubai to Kozhikode
  
• Casualties: 21 passengers and both the pilots
  
• Insurance Claim: ₹660 crore
  
• Claimed By: Air India Express through its insurer (New India Assurance)
  
• Cause: Overshot runway during heavy rainfall at a tabletop airport
  

2. Air India Express Flight 812 – Mangalore Crash (2010)

Recorded on May 22, 2010 an Air India Flight 812 from Dubai failed to stop on landing at Mangalore’s tabletop runway, crashing into a gorge and subsequently caught fire. The crash was so deadly that only 8 of the 166 passengers on board survived. 

#OTD in 2010: Air India Express Flight 812, a B-737, crashes in Mangalore (India), 158 of 166 aboard die. On landing jet overran runway, fell in a gorge and caught fire. Inquiry noted Captain actions in unstabilized approach maneuver, despite multiple F/O and EGPWS warnings. pic.twitter.com/Q1d4UQj4ch

— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters) May 21, 2023

Air India Express claimed compensation via its insurance policy.

• Year: 2010
  
• Flight Route: Dubai to Mangalore
  
• Casualties: 158
  
• Insurance Claim: ₹230 crore
  
• Claimed By: Air India Express via its aviation insurance policy
  
• Cause: Runway overshoot on a tabletop runway due to pilot misjudgment
  

3. HAL Sukhoi Su-30MKI Crash (2018)

In 2018, a Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jet manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) crashed near Nashik during a test sortie. On the fortunate side both the pilots ejected safely. Despite no fatalities, the aircraft was a total loss, and HAL filed a significant insurance claim for the damages.

🇮🇳 Su-30MKI (made in Russia) crushed today. The crew ejected. pic.twitter.com/mf2otKLZYc

— JR2 (@JanR210) June 4, 2024

• Year: 2018
  
• Aircraft: Sukhoi Su-30MKI
  
• Casualties: None
  
• Insurance Claim: ₹273 crore
  
• Claimed By: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)
  
• Cause: Technical fault during a test routine sortie
  

4. Air India Flight 182 – Kanishka Bombing (1985)

On June 23, 1985, an Air India Flight 182 exploded mid-air off the coast of Ireland due to a bomb planted by Khalistani terrorists. The targeted attack took the lives of all 329 people onboard. This was considered the deadliest act of aviation terrorism before the 9/11 attacks. Insurance payout details are sparse but were claimed by Air India and families of victims.

Air India 🇮🇳 Flight 182 Canada ‘Kanishka’ Bombing Archives Launched

A new memorial archive dedicated to Air India (AI) Flight 182 has been launched at McMaster University, Hamilton, to commemorate victims of the 1985 Kanishka bombing—Canada’s 🇨🇦 deadliest terror attack.

Read… pic.twitter.com/IUHmU5glMd

— Aviation A2z (@Aviationa2z) May 24, 2025

• Year: 1985
  
• Flight Route: Toronto to Delhi (via Montreal & London)
  
• Casualties: 329
  
• Insurance Claim: Estimated over ₹200 crore (not officially disclosed)
  
• Claimed By: Air India & victim families
  
• Cause: Bomb explosion planted by Khalistani Terrorist group
  

5. Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision (1996)

A rare lapse of calculation and communication on November 12, 1996, resulted in a Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 colliding mid-air with a Kazakhstan Airlines Ilyushin Il-76 near Charkhi Dadri, Haryana. It resulted in the deaths of 349 people on board in both the planes, making it the deadliest mid-air collision ever. 

1996 Charkhi Dadri Mid-Air Collision : pic.twitter.com/PA7hxX2jFX

— XstarAkhil (@ThorofTrends) June 13, 2025

Insurance claims were handled by the respective airlines and reinsurance companies.

• Year: 1996
  
• Flight Route: Delhi to Dhaka / Delhi to Jeddah
  
• Casualties: 349 (all aboard in both aircraft)
  
• Insurance Claim: Not publicly disclosed; estimated in 100s of crores
  
• Claimed By: Saudi Arabian Airlines and Kazakhstan Airlines
  
• Cause: Communication lapse and airspace management failure
  

Read Also: Air India flight headed London crashes after Take Off in Ahmedabad – No Fatality reported yet of 242 Onboard