The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that high insurance costs are threatening the survival of several airlines.
IATA chairman Ralf Oessler said that the world's airlines made a combined $13bn (£8.1bn) loss in 2002, with further losses expected this year.
Oessler suggested that the withdrawal of aviation insurance capacity and the size of the large increases in premiums after the terrorist attacks on 11 September had not been justified.
He said that in 2002 all-risk aviation insurance premiums were estimated at $3.3bn (£1.8bn) but that claims totalled only $930m (£580m).
Oelssner warned that 11 September had led to significant changes in the availability of reinsurance capacity, with the influx of extra capacity.
