GUIDE · EMPTY LEG FLIGHTS

Empty leg flights, explained

An empty leg is a one-way private jet repositioning flight sold at 40–75% below the full retail charter rate on the same aircraft. Operators need the jet moved anyway; rather than fly empty they offer the seats at a discount. Same airframe, same crew, same ARGUS/Wyvern/IS-BAO safety standard. The trade-off: departure date, time and endpoints are fixed by the repositioning schedule, so empty legs suit flexible-date travellers, group returns, ski-week charters and yacht-season transfers.

How empty leg flights work

1. An aircraft repositions

A charter client books London → Nice on Friday. The jet has to fly Nice → London empty on Sunday to reach its next paid trip. That empty repositioning leg becomes an empty leg.

2. The operator publishes it

Operators publish empty legs to broker networks the moment they know. Our AI pulls verified legs from 400+ operators into one live board every few minutes.

3. You book at 40–75% off retail

You pay a fraction of a full one-way charter — same aircraft, same crew, same catering. Trade-off: dates, times and endpoints are usually fixed to the repositioning schedule.

Real examples: retail vs empty leg

RouteAircraftRetail one-wayEmpty leg
Nice → London (Sunday PM)Citation XLS+£11,000£3,900
Geneva → Ibiza (Friday AM)Challenger 350€18,500€6,200
Farnborough → OlbiaFalcon 2000LXS£22,000£7,400
Miami → Teterboro (weekday)Gulfstream G450$34,000$11,900

Indicative all-inclusive pricing. Live board carries the real number for the day.

Pros

  • 40–75% below retail one-way charter — identical aircraft and crew
  • Same operator safety standard (ARGUS / Wyvern / IS-BAO)
  • Same FBO, catering, ground transfer — nothing degraded
  • Great fit for flexible-date UHNW travel, group returns and yacht/ski season legs

Cons

  • Dates, times and endpoints are dictated by the operator's repositioning schedule
  • Cancellations happen when the original paid trip cancels — always have a backup
  • Nearby-airport swaps (Farnborough ↔ Luton, Nice ↔ Cannes) usually cost a small re-quote
  • Peak weeks (Cannes, Monaco GP, F1, New Year) have thinner empty-leg supply

Related

Frequently asked

What is an empty leg private jet flight?

An empty leg is a one-way repositioning flight an operator must fly with no paying passengers. Rather than fly empty they sell the seats at 40–75% below the full one-way charter rate. Same aircraft, same crew, same safety standard.

How much cheaper are empty leg flights?

Typical discount is 40–75% versus a confirmed one-way charter on the same aircraft. A Citation XLS Nice → London that would quote at £11,000 as a full charter can appear as an empty leg for £3,900. Discounts widen as the departure date gets closer.

Are empty legs safe?

Yes. The aircraft, operator, crew and insurance are identical to any full-price charter — the empty leg is a commercial pricing structure, not a different type of flight. We only publish empty legs from ARGUS Gold/Platinum, Wyvern Wingman or IS-BAO operators.

Can I change the departure time on an empty leg?

Small windows — usually ±2 hours around the published time. Bigger shifts break the operator's repositioning schedule and either kill the deal or push the price toward a full charter quote.

What happens if the empty leg gets cancelled?

The empty leg only exists because a paying trip needs the aircraft moved. If that paying trip cancels or changes, the empty leg can disappear. We always propose a backup — either another empty leg or a full charter at a pre-agreed cap — before you commit.

How do I find empty legs?

Our live board lists verified empty legs across 400+ operators, refreshed every few minutes. For a specific corridor and date range, set a route alert and we'll notify you the moment a matching leg is published.

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