Regulations Regarding the Mandatory Civil Liability Insurance for Flights with Unmanned Aircrafts

Issued pursuant to
Section 117.¹⁰, Paragraph three of the law On Aviation

1. The Regulation prescribes the minimum limits of general civil liability for losses which might be caused by an unmanned aircraft to the health, life, or property of a third party, and also to the environment, and derogations from the insurance requirements.

2. In order to complete flights with unmanned aircrafts in the airspace of the Republic of Latvia, an unmanned aircraft system operator or an owner of unmanned aircraft shall insure his or her general civil liability against losses which might be caused by the unmanned aircraft to the health, life, or property of a third party, and also to the environment (hereinafter - the insurance) in conformity with at least the following minimum limits of liability:

2.1. EUR 50 000 for one insurable event and insurance period together if flights are completed in the subcategory A1 or A2 of the open category;

2.2. in accordance with the limits specified in Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on insurance requirements for air carriers and aircraft operators if:

2.2.1. the maximum take-off mass of the unmanned aircraft is 20 kg or more;

2.2.2. the flights with the unmanned aircraft are completed in the specific category.

3. The conditions referred to in Paragraph 2 of this Regulation are not applied to the completion of flights with unmanned aircrafts:

3.1. the maximum take-off mass of which is less than 250 g and the maximum flight speed of which is less than 19 m/s;

3.2. the maximum take-off mass of which is less than 20 kg and which complete flights in the open category of the State administration institution.

4. Until 31 December 2021, in order to complete flights with unmanned aircrafts in the airspace of the Republic of Latvia, an unmanned aircraft system operator or an owner of unmanned aircraft shall insure his or her general civil liability against losses which might be caused by the unmanned aircraft to the health, life, or property of a third party, and also to the environment in conformity with at least the following minimum limits of liability:

4.1. EUR 150 000 for one insurable event and insurance period together if the total take-off mass of the unmanned aircraft is from 250 g to 1.5 kg and flights are completed in the specific category;

4.2. EUR 500 000 for one insurable event and insurance period together if the total take-off mass of the unmanned aircraft is from 1.5 kg to 5 kg;

4.3. EUR 1 000 000 for one insurable event and insurance period together if the total take-off mass of the unmanned aircraft is 5 kg and more.

5. Until 1 January 2023, Sub-paragraph 2.1 of this Regulation is also attributed to the flights with unmanned aircrafts which are referred to in Article 22(a) and (b) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 of 24 May 2019 on the rules and procedures for the operation of unmanned aircraft.

6. Paragraphs 2, 3, and 5 of this Regulation shall come into force on 1 January 2022.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Minister for Transport T. Linkaits

Translation © 2022 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)