Aircraft insurance guide

Cessna 172 insurance cost

Aircraft insurance is underwritten per risk rather than sold from a public tariff, so this page builds a planning range across the whole Cessna 172 Skyhawk line instead of quoting a price.

Experienced pilot, hull and liability$1,185 (€1,097) to $7,936 (€7,348) / year

Cheapest to insureCessna 172N Skyhawk

Variants compared6

Insuring a Cessna 172 Skyhawk costs approximately $1,185 (€1,097) to $7,936 (€7,348) a year for an experienced owner-pilot carrying both hull and liability cover. Almost all of that spread is hull value rather than anything about the airframe: the Cessna 172N Skyhawk insures at $120k (€111k) and the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP at $537k (€497k). A low-time or newly rated pilot should budget roughly 1.6 times the experienced figure in any of them.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk insurance by variant

Annual hull and liability cover at an indicative hull value for each variant. Figures assume the aircraft is insured at the value shown.

Variant	Indicative hull value	Experienced pilot	Low-time pilot
Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP 2019	$537k (€497k)	$4,762 (€4,409) to $7,936 (€7,348)	$7,795 (€7,218) to $12,992 (€12,030)
Cessna 172R Skyhawk 1997	$282k (€261k)	$2,575 (€2,384) to $4,291 (€3,973)	$4,187 (€3,877) to $6,978 (€6,461)
Cessna 172P Skyhawk 1984	$123k (€114k)	$1,212 (€1,122) to $2,021 (€1,871)	$1,940 (€1,796) to $3,232 (€2,993)
Cessna 172N Skyhawk 1980	$120k (€111k)	$1,185 (€1,097) to $1,974 (€1,828)	$1,893 (€1,753) to $3,156 (€2,922)
Cessna 172M Skyhawk 1976	$151k (€140k)	$1,454 (€1,346) to $2,422 (€2,243)	$2,337 (€2,164) to $3,894 (€3,606)
Cessna R172K Hawk XP 1979	$189k (€175k)	$1,778 (€1,646) to $2,962 (€2,743)	$2,872 (€2,659) to $4,787 (€4,432)

What moves a Cessna 172 Skyhawk quote

Within a single model line the airframe risk is close to constant, so an underwriter is pricing two things: how much the hull is worth and who is flying it. That is why the range above is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. It is also why shopping between variants to save premium rarely works out: the cheaper aircraft to insure is the cheaper aircraft, and the difference usually reappears in maintenance.

This model prices hull value, aircraft class, landing gear, pressurisation, seat count and cruise performance. It does not price avionics fit, claims history, where the aircraft is based and hangared, or instructional and commercial use. Any one of those can move a premium substantially, and a claim on the pilot's record moves it the furthest.

Estimate your own premium

Prefilled with the Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP. Change the hull value to price another variant.

Insured hull valuefrom aircraft data

€

The agreed value the policy would pay for a total hull loss, normally close to replacement value.Base annual hull ratefrom aircraft data

Planning premium as a percentage of hull value before pilot and aircraft risk adjustments.Pilot experience factorfrom aircraft data

Use above 1.0 for limited total or time-in-type experience and below 1.0 only with broker evidence.Aircraft complexity factorfrom aircraft data

Use above 1.0 for retractable gear, turbine power, multi-engine or other higher-risk configurations.

Planning midpoint€5,467 / year

Indicative planning range€4,100 to €7,380

Common questions about Cessna 172 Skyhawk insurance

How much does it cost to insure a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?

For an experienced owner-pilot carrying hull and liability cover, budget roughly $1,185 (€1,097) to $7,936 (€7,348) a year across the Cessna 172 Skyhawk line. The spread is driven almost entirely by hull value: a 1980 Cessna 172N Skyhawk insured at $120k (€111k) sits at the bottom, a 2019 Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP at $537k (€497k) at the top. These are planning ranges, not quotations.

Which Cessna 172 Skyhawk variant is cheapest to insure?

The Cessna 172N Skyhawk, at roughly $1,185 (€1,097) to $1,974 (€1,828) a year for an experienced pilot. Insurance tracks hull value closely, so within a single model line the older and less expensive the airframe, the cheaper the cover. That is not the whole ownership picture: an older airframe usually costs more to maintain than it saves in premium.

Does a low-time pilot pay more in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk?

Substantially. Across this line a low-time or newly rated pilot pays roughly 1.6 times what an experienced owner-pilot pays in the same airframe. Pilot experience moves an aircraft premium more than any other factor a buyer controls, which is why the table above prices both.