Data from McLarens Aviation points to significant rises in aviation claims costs across the board and suggests the increases are driven by structural market issues rather than cyclical trends. The firm’s latest aviation claims cost index details annual rises of between 6% and 10.8% across a dozen different categories.

The biggest jump of 10.8% was for major repairs / original equipment manufacturer / aircraft on ground. At the other end of the scale, airline labour costs were up by 6%. Other categories included maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities (up 8.2%), hangers (up 6.9%) and regional engine parts (up 6.3%).

John Bayley, global technical director at McLarens Aviation, said: “What stands out this year is the consistency of the trend rather than any single spike. Looking at the last three years of data side-by-side, there’s no real peak or trough, it’s a steady, year-on-year increase. This is no longer a post-pandemic correction; it reflects a genuine structural shift in how aircraft are maintained, repaired and resourced.”

He added: “Increases of this scale every year put massive pressure on the industry. I’d like to think we’re approaching a point where the rate of increase begins to ease, but the pressures driving these costs – skills shortages, OEM pricing power and the complexity of newer aircraft – are structural rather than cyclical. We don’t expect them to disappear quickly.”