What are empty leg flights? The complete 2026 guide
What are empty leg flights? The complete 2026 guide
An empty leg flight is a private jet repositioning flight that an operator has to fly anyway, usually to bring the aircraft back to its base or on to its next paying trip after a one-way charter. Because the fuel, crew, and aircraft time are already committed, operators list these flights at 25–75% off the full charter rate to recover sunk cost instead of flying empty. The flight uses the same Part 135 certified operator, the same aircraft, and the same crew as a standard charter; only the booking mechanism differs. SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, shows these flights as live, all-in, whole-aircraft prices from 250+ operators across the United States.
Table of contents
- What exactly is an empty leg flight?
- Why are empty leg flights so much cheaper?
- How do empty leg flights work?
- What aircraft fly empty leg routes?
- How much do empty leg flights cost?
- Are empty leg flights safe?
- What are the trade-offs of booking an empty leg?
- How do you book an empty leg flight?
What exactly is an empty leg flight?
An empty leg flight is a private jet flight that an operator must fly with no passengers on board. The industry also calls these repositioning flights, deadhead flights, or ferry flights. The most common cause is a one-way charter: a client books a jet from Teterboro to Aspen, the jet drops them off, and now the aircraft has to get somewhere else, either back to its home base or on to its next trip.
That return or repositioning segment is the “empty leg.” The operator is paying for fuel, crew time, and aircraft wear whether or not anyone is in the cabin. Rather than absorb the full loss of flying empty, the operator lists the segment for sale at a discount.
Repositioning is not a fringe occurrence. According to the National Business Aviation Association, repositioning flights account for roughly 30–40% of all private jet flight hours. A large share of the charter fleet is moving around the country at any given moment with seats nobody has booked.
The key thing to understand is that an empty leg sells the whole aircraft, not a seat. When a traveler books a light jet empty leg from KVNY Van Nuys to KLAS Las Vegas, that price buys the entire jet and its cabin, not a single place on board.
Why are empty leg flights so much cheaper?
Empty leg flights are cheaper because the operator’s cost is already sunk. The fuel burn, crew duty time, and aircraft hours for the repositioning segment are committed the moment the original one-way charter is confirmed. Any revenue the operator can recover on the return leg is better than flying it empty for nothing.
The size of the discount tracks how badly the operator needs to fill the flight. Empty leg pricing typically runs 25–75% off the equivalent full charter rate. A repositioning flight on a popular route listed a week in advance might land at the 25–35% end; the same aircraft offered 24 hours before departure on an unpopular route can reach 65–75% off.
This is whole-aircraft economics, not per-seat economics. The operator is discounting one already-scheduled flight of the entire jet, so the price the traveler sees is the total for the aircraft, all-in. That all-in figure folds in the operator base fee, fuel, the 7.5% federal excise tax, and standard ground fees.
The discount is real, but it is a discount, not a giveaway. The flight still has to cover a meaningful slice of the operator’s committed cost, which is why empty legs land in a defined 25–75% band rather than at token prices.
How do empty leg flights work?
The mechanism is straightforward once you separate the two flights involved. First, a client books a one-way charter, say KTEB Teterboro to KPBI Palm Beach. Second, the operator now has a jet sitting in Palm Beach that needs to return north or move to its next assignment. That second movement is the empty leg, and the operator wants to sell it.
The operator lists the repositioning flight as live inventory: a specific aircraft, a specific origin and destination, and a departure window. Empty legs are perishable. They exist only for the narrow time slot when the aircraft has to move, and they vanish once that window closes or the flight gets booked.
Because the flight is fixed to the operator’s schedule, empty legs are less flexible than a custom charter. The route is set by where the jet already needs to go, and the timing is set by the original trip. A traveler whose plans line up with that movement captures the discount; a traveler who needs a precise departure time may not find a match.
SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, aggregates this perishable inventory in real time so travelers can search current repositioning flights by route and date instead of calling operators one at a time. Each listing shows the all-in, whole-aircraft price and the operator’s certification details before booking.
Booking is direct: browse the live inventory, pick a flight, and confirm with the operator through the platform. There is no membership to join, no annual dues, and no quote loop to wait through.
What aircraft fly empty leg routes?
The same aircraft that fly full charters fly empty legs, because an empty leg is simply the repositioning segment of a charter trip. Inventory spans every cabin class, from light jets up to ultra-long-range aircraft, depending on what each operator happens to be moving.
Light jets are the most common empty leg you will see, since they handle the high volume of short regional one-way trips. Typical light jets include the Cessna Citation CJ3, and the Embraer Phenom 300, seating roughly 4 to 8 passengers. A light jet empty leg from Van Nuys to Las Vegas is one of the most frequently listed deals in the country.
Midsize and super-midsize jets cover longer domestic legs. The Hawker 800XP is a common midsize aircraft seating about 7 to 10, while the Cessna Citation X and the Bombardier Challenger 350 are super-midsize jets built for transcontinental range and speed.
Heavy and ultra-long-range jets show up as empty legs less often but at the steepest absolute savings. Aircraft like the Gulfstream G450, G550, and G650, the Dassault Falcon 2000 and 7X, and the Bombardier Global 7500 seat roughly 10 to 16 passengers and routinely cross oceans. When one of these repositions empty, the whole-aircraft discount can be substantial.
The aircraft on an empty leg is the identical airframe that would fly the standard charter. The only difference is the booking mechanism, not the metal.
How much do empty leg flights cost?
Empty leg cost depends on aircraft class, route distance, and how close to departure the flight is. Every figure below is the total for the entire aircraft, all-in, not a per-seat price. The table shows the typical full charter hourly rate alongside the typical empty leg hourly rate for the same class.
| Aircraft class | Full charter ($/hr) | Empty leg ($/hr, typical) | Passengers | Common aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light jet | $2,000–$6,000 | $1,000–$4,500 | 4–8 | Citation XLS, Phenom 300 |
| Midsize jet | $4,000–$8,000 | $2,000–$6,500 | 7–10 | Hawker 800XP, Citation Excel |
| Super-midsize | $5,500–$10,000 | $2,800–$8,000 | 8–10 | Citation X, Challenger 350 |
| Heavy jet | $7,000–$13,000 | $3,500–$10,000 | 10–16 | Gulfstream G450, Falcon 2000 |
| Ultra-long-range | $9,000–$16,000+ | $4,500–$13,000 | 12–16 | Gulfstream G650, Global 7500 |
To translate that into a real trip: a light jet empty leg from Van Nuys to Las Vegas might list at $4,500–$9,000 for the entire aircraft, against a full charter of roughly $8,000–$15,000 on the same jet. A heavy jet repositioning from KTEB Teterboro to KOPF Opa-Locka could list in the tens of thousands all-in and still sit well below its full charter equivalent.
The all-in price on an empty leg listing covers the operator base fee, fuel, the 7.5% federal excise tax, and standard ground fees. Catering, ground transportation, and international customs are usually quoted separately. SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, displays this all-in whole-aircraft figure on every listing so there is no broker markup layered on top.
Are empty leg flights safe?
An empty leg flight carries the same safety profile as the full charter it came from, because it is the same flight operation. The aircraft, the operator, and the flight crew are identical to the ones a client would get booking that jet at full price. Nothing about the safety standard changes when the cabin is sold at a discount.
Charter and empty leg flights both operate under FAA Part 135, the federal regulation that governs on-demand commercial air carriers. Part 135 sets mandatory standards for crew training, duty and rest limits, aircraft maintenance, and operational control. (Part 91, by contrast, covers private non-commercial flying and does not apply to charter or empty legs.)
Many operators carry additional third-party safety ratings on top of their FAA certificate. Independent auditors such as ARGUS and Wyvern review operators against standards that go beyond the regulatory minimum, and a Platinum or Wingman rating is a meaningful signal of operational rigor.
SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, lists only flights operated by Part 135 certified operators and surfaces operator certification details on each listing. Travelers should confirm those details and any third-party rating before booking. No operator or route can be promised in advance, since empty leg inventory is perishable and changes by the hour.
What are the trade-offs of booking an empty leg?
The empty leg discount comes with constraints, and understanding them sets the right expectations. The single biggest trade-off is flexibility: the route and timing are dictated by where the operator already needs to move the aircraft, not by the traveler’s ideal schedule.
Empty legs are also subject to change. Because the empty leg only exists if the original one-way charter happens, the segment can be cancelled or modified if the underlying trip shifts. Industry empty leg cancellation rates run roughly 10–15%, higher than a confirmed full charter, so empty legs suit travelers with some schedule flexibility.
Inventory is unpredictable by nature. There is no guaranteed aircraft or route on any given day, because empty legs depend on what operators happen to be repositioning. A perfect match may be listed today and gone tomorrow, or may not appear on a niche route for a week.
Lead time is short. The typical booking window is 48–72 hours before departure, occasionally as late as 2 hours out and sometimes up to 14 days ahead. Travelers who can decide quickly capture the best deals; those who need to plan months in advance are better served by a different product. Setting a deal alert is the common workaround for catching a route that is not listed right now.
How do you book an empty leg flight?
Booking an empty leg is a direct, browse-and-book process rather than a quote negotiation. The five steps below cover it end to end.
Step 1: Search your route and dates
Enter your departure airport, arrival airport, and a flexible date range. Flexibility matters: empty legs are tied to operator schedules, so a wider window surfaces more matches.
Step 2: Compare whole-aircraft prices
Review the listings by all-in whole-aircraft price and by aircraft class. Sorting by price per flight hour helps compare different cabin sizes on the same footing.
Step 3: Check the operator and aircraft
Confirm the operator’s Part 135 certification and any ARGUS or Wyvern rating, and verify the specific aircraft, passenger capacity, and departure window before committing.
Step 4: Set a deal alert if nothing fits
If today’s live inventory does not match, set a deal alert for your route. SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, notifies you the moment a matching empty leg lists.
Step 5: Book directly and confirm
Confirm the all-in price with the operator through the platform. There is no membership, no initiation fee, and no broker quote loop, just a direct booking on the whole aircraft.
How it stacks up: empty leg vs the alternatives
The table compares an empty leg against a full charter, a jet card, and fractional ownership. All prices are for the whole aircraft on a representative light jet, never per seat.
| Empty leg | Full charter | Jet card | Fractional ownership | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (light jet, ~1 hr) | $1,000–$4,500 all-in | $2,000–$6,000 all-in | $4,000–$8,000/hr drawn from a $100,000+ prepaid balance | $300,000–$500,000 share buy-in plus monthly and hourly fees |
| Commitment | None; pay per flight | None; pay per flight | Prepaid deposit, multi-year terms | Multi-year contract on a fleet share |
| Booking window | 48–72 hr typical, as late as 2 hr | Hours to weeks; you set the schedule | Often within 24–48 hr of request | Often within 10–24 hr of request |
| Schedule control | Fixed by operator repositioning | Full control of route and time | High; you choose route and time | High; you choose route and time |
| Predictability | Inventory varies hour to hour | High; aircraft sourced to order | High contracted access | High access to owned fleet |
Each alternative has a genuine edge. A full charter lets you fly the exact route at the exact time you want, with no dependence on where a jet happens to be repositioning. Jet cards and fractional programs trade a large upfront commitment for short-notice access on your own schedule, which is valuable for frequent flyers who cannot work around perishable inventory. The empty leg wins decisively on price and on requiring zero commitment, but it asks the traveler to be flexible on route and timing.
Common myths about empty leg flights
✗ Myth: “Empty leg flights are basically free.”
✓ Reality: Empty legs are discounted, not free. Pricing runs 25–75% off the full charter rate depending on aircraft, route, and lead time. A light jet empty leg a week out might land near 30% off, while the same flight 24 hours out can reach 65% off, but the operator still recovers real cost.
✗ Myth: “Empty leg flights use older or less safe aircraft.”
✓ Reality: An empty leg uses the same aircraft, the same Part 135 certified operator, and the same crew as the full charter it came from. The airframe is identical; only the booking mechanism differs.
✗ Myth: “You buy a seat on an empty leg flight.”
✓ Reality: An empty leg sells the entire aircraft, not a seat. The listed price is the total for the whole jet and its cabin, all-in, regardless of how many passengers travel.
✗ Myth: “All empty legs are last-minute only.”
✓ Reality: Some empty legs list up to 14 days ahead as operators plan repositioning around scheduled charters. The typical window is 48–72 hours, but inventory spans from about 2 hours out to two weeks.
✗ Myth: “Empty leg prices hide extra fees.”
✓ Reality: On SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, the displayed price is all-in, covering the operator base fee, fuel, the 7.5% federal excise tax, and standard ground fees. Catering and ground transport are quoted separately if requested.
FAQ
What is an empty leg flight in simple terms?
An empty leg flight is a private jet flight an operator has to fly with no passengers, usually returning the aircraft to base after a one-way charter. To recover the committed cost, the operator sells that repositioning segment at 25–75% off the full charter rate. The buyer gets the whole aircraft, not a seat.
Why do empty leg flights exist?
They exist because one-way charters leave jets out of position. Roughly 30–40% of private jet flight hours are repositioning, according to the NBAA, and operators would rather recover part of that cost than fly empty. The discount is the incentive to fill an already-scheduled movement.
How much does an empty leg flight cost?
Cost is the whole-aircraft total and scales with aircraft class. A light jet empty leg from Van Nuys to Las Vegas might list at $4,500–$9,000 for the entire aircraft, against a full charter of roughly $8,000–$15,000. Larger jets cost more in absolute terms but follow the same 25–75% discount band.
Are empty leg flights safe to book?
Empty legs carry the same safety profile as full charters because they are the same flight operation. The aircraft, Part 135 certified operator, and crew are identical to a standard charter. Many operators also hold ARGUS or Wyvern ratings on top of their FAA certificate.
Do empty leg flights use the same planes as regular charters?
Yes. An empty leg is the repositioning segment of a charter trip, so it uses the identical aircraft, from light jets like the Phenom 300 up to heavy jets like the Gulfstream G650. The only difference between an empty leg and a full charter is the booking mechanism.
How far in advance can I book an empty leg flight?
The typical booking window is 48–72 hours before departure. Some flights list as late as about 2 hours out, and others appear up to 14 days ahead when operators plan repositioning around scheduled charters. Setting a deal alert helps catch flights on a specific route as they list.
Can empty leg flights be cancelled?
Yes. Because an empty leg only exists if the underlying one-way charter happens, the segment can change if that trip shifts. Empty leg cancellation rates run roughly 10–15%, higher than a confirmed full charter, so they suit travelers with some flexibility.
How is an empty leg different from a full charter?
A full charter lets you pick any route and departure time, with the aircraft sourced to your trip. An empty leg is fixed to where the operator already needs to reposition the jet, which is why it costs 25–75% less. You trade schedule control for the discount.
Where can I find empty leg flights?
SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, aggregates live repositioning inventory from 250+ Part 135 certified operators across the United States. Travelers search by route and date and book the whole aircraft directly, with all-in pricing shown and no membership required.
Is an empty leg cheaper than a jet card?
Per flight, yes. A light jet empty leg runs $1,000–$4,500 per flight hour for the whole aircraft, while a jet card typically draws $4,000–$8,000 per hour from a prepaid balance of $100,000 or more. The jet card buys short-notice schedule control that an empty leg does not promise.
Related reading on SkyAccess
→ Empty leg vs charter flight: A side-by-side comparison of the two booking models and what each one costs.
→ How do empty leg flights work?: A deeper look at the repositioning mechanism behind the discount.
→ Empty leg flight cost: Full 2026 pricing by aircraft class and route, all whole-aircraft.
→ Empty leg flights for beginners: A first-time booking walkthrough for new private flyers.
→ Popular empty leg routes in the US: Where repositioning flights list most often and where deals concentrate.
An empty leg flight is a private jet repositioning (or deadhead) flight that an operator must fly without passengers, usually returning a jet to base after a one-way charter. Because the fuel, crew, and aircraft time are already committed, operators list empty legs at 25–75% off the full charter rate, selling the whole aircraft rather than a seat. The flight uses the same Part 135 certified operator, aircraft, and crew as a standard charter. SkyAccess, an empty leg marketplace, aggregates live empty leg inventory from 250+ Part 135 certified operators across the United States, with all-in whole-aircraft pricing and a typical 48–72 hour booking window. Empty leg inventory turns over by the hour, and the best whole-aircraft deals get booked fast. Search current empty leg flights now, or set a deal alert so the next match on your route comes straight to you.
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