What insurance is required for tower work near airports or in restricted airspace?

Tower work near airports or in restricted airspace creates additional insurance and regulatory requirements. FAA notification under 14 CFR Part 77 is required for any construction or modification that may affect navigable airspace. Beyond regulatory compliance, insurance implications include: (1) Some GL policies contain aviation exclusion endorsements that could be interpreted to exclude claims related to interference with aircraft operations. Confirm your GL covers claims arising from your tower work even if the claimant is an aircraft operator. (2) Higher umbrella limits may be warranted because the severity of a claim involving aircraft (even ground damage from a crane or gin pole penetrating airspace) is catastrophic. (3) If your work requires a crane extending into navigable airspace, the FAA temporary structure notification creates documented awareness of the risk. Any failure to comply with the notification that contributes to an incident will be used as evidence of negligence. (4) Airport authority requirements may exceed standard MSA insurance requirements, including specific aviation liability endorsements and higher per-occurrence limits. (5) Some tower sites within airport perimeters require special access agreements with their own insurance exhibits. (6) If your tower lighting maintenance failure contributes to an aviation incident, the claim magnitude could exhaust even $10M in umbrella coverage. Tower contractors working regularly near airports should discuss aviation liability exposures specifically with their broker.