How an Act of Aggression Complicates Insurance Questions For Malaysia Airlines

Soon after the news broke of the loss of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, the question emerged in boardrooms from New York to Kuala Lumpur: Who will pay for the loss of the plane and its nearly 300 passengers and crew, given that the commercial airliner was "blown out of the sky"? Who will be left with the bill that could run into the billions of dollars?

See also: Latest Updates: Malaysia Airlines Plane 'Blown Out of the Sky'

To the rest of us, it might seem an insensitive debate — especially so quickly after the plane went down

But for insurance brokers, airline executives and government officials, it's a pertinent — if tricky — question that hinges on the interpretation of "wartime exclusions" and hotly contested facts on the ground in the border region between Ukraine and Russia. Read more...

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