Despite the dire predictions from some of the world’s leading airlines recent high profile losses have furthered the drive for price hikes and Catlin has announced it is to create a strengthened team in the class by September with a string of new hires from rivals.

Richard Power will join Catlin on 1 August as a senior underwriter and head of the airline underwriting team in London. He arrives from his previous role as airline practice leader at C.V. Starr & Company and was previously an underwriter with Global Aerospace (formerly BAIG and BAIC).

He will be joined in September by Mark Stanley as a Senior Underwriter and Head of Aviation Products and Airport Underwriting in London. He had been an underwriter for Global Aerospace for more than 20 years. Catlin also announced that Paul Cooper, currently a class underwriter with Catlin Guernsey, will join the Catlin aviation team in London in August as a class underwriter specialising in airline accounts.

In addition, Fiona Hodgson has joined Catlin as a Senior Aviation Claims Adjuster in London. She has recently held claims positions at XL Insurance and previously worked at Global Aerospace and Charles Taylor Consulting.

Alain Burguiere, European business group leader for Catlin Aerospace, said: “I am pleased to welcome Richard Power and Mark Stanley to Catlin’s London aviation underwriting team. Richard and Mark are highly respected underwriters in the marketplace, and their addition to our existing London aviation underwriting team which includes Julia Milton and soon Paul Cooper will further strengthen Catlin s position as one of the world s leading aviation insurers. The addition of Fiona Hodgson to our aviation claims team will increase the existing high levels of service that Catlin offers to its aviation policyholders.”

Catlin said the full team at Catlin will be in place by September. Catlin had a gross aerospace-related premium volume of approximately $400 million in 2008.