Turboprop
e.g. PC-12 or King Air 350
- Seating
- 6–9
- Typical range
- ~1,800 nm
- Hourly, est.
- $1,800–3,200
Empty legs and on-demand charter
Empty legs from airports near you.
Jets often fly one way with nobody on board, heading home or to their next trip. Tell us where you fly from and we send you the legs that fit, priced all-in, with a regular charter quote alongside.
Typical empty-leg pricingOften 25–75% below a one-way charter. An estimate; every leg is priced on its own.
- All-in quotesFederal excise tax, segment fees and airport charges shown up front.
- FAA Part 135 operatorsEvery flight is run by a certificated carrier in operational control.
- No membership or depositAsking for a quote or an alert costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
- One advisor throughoutThe same person from your first request to the moment you land.
Aircraft
From six-seat turboprops to long-range jets
Empty legs turn up on every size of aircraft. These are the categories you will see most, with typical US figures.
Light jet
e.g. Phenom 300E or CJ4
- Seating
- 6–8
- Typical range
- 2,000–2,150 nm
- Hourly, est.
- $3,500–5,500
Midsize
e.g. Citation XLS+
- Seating
- 7–9
- Typical range
- ~2,100 nm
- Hourly, est.
- $4,500–7,000
Super-midsize
e.g. Challenger 350 or Praetor 600
- Seating
- 8–10
- Typical range
- 3,200–4,000 nm
- Hourly, est.
- $6,500–9,500
Large cabin
e.g. G450 or Falcon 2000LXS
- Seating
- 10–16
- Typical range
- 4,000–4,300 nm
- Hourly, est.
- $8,500–13,000
Hourly figures are estimates for US charter before federal excise tax and fees. Empty legs on the same aircraft are priced as one-off fares, usually well below these rates.
How it works
From your airport to wheels-up in four steps
Tell us your airports
Pick the airports you fly from and how far you are happy to drive. Add a trip if you already have one in mind.
We match repositioning flights
Operators release one-way legs as their schedules firm up. We check them against your airports, dates and group size.
You see an all-in price
Aircraft, operator, timing and the total cost in one email, with taxes and fees included. No obligation.
Confirm and fly
You sign a charter agreement that names the operating carrier. Your advisor handles the details down to the ramp.
Empty legs, explained
A flight that is going anyway
When a charter drops its passengers in Palm Beach and the aircraft lives in New Jersey, it still has to fly home. That trip home is an empty leg. Operators would rather sell the cabin than fly it empty, so these flights are priced well below a normal charter.
- Route and departure time are set by the original trip, so the leg suits travelers with some flexibility.
- One way only. Your return can be another empty leg or a regular charter.
- The leg can move or be canceled if the original trip changes, so we always keep a charter option ready.
- Same aircraft, crew and operator standards as any other charter flight.
Airports near you
Empty legs cluster where jets are based and where they go
Busy business-aviation airports see the most repositioning. Pick your region to see the airports we watch and how legs tend to flow there.
Popular routes
Routes where empty legs show up often
Flight times are approximate and depend on aircraft, winds and routing. Every route can also be booked as a regular charter.
TEB DJT
Teterboro to Palm Beach
Legs tend to run north as the Florida season starts and south as it ends, against the main flow of owners.
Quote this route
HPN FLL
Westchester to Fort Lauderdale
Westchester is a major base for midsize and super-midsize jets, so southbound positioning flights appear through the winter.
Quote this route
VNY LAS
Van Nuys to Las Vegas
Short, busy and lopsided: jets fly guests in for a fight night or a show, then head back to Los Angeles empty.
Quote this route
DAL ASE
Dallas Love Field to Aspen
Aspen limits parking at peak times, so many jets drop their passengers and leave. Those departures are where the legs appear.
Quote this route
BOS ACK
Boston to Nantucket
Island drop-offs on Friday and pick-ups on Sunday leave plenty of short empty hops in between.
Quote this route
LTN NCE
London Luton to Nice
The Riviera summer runs on one-way trips from London, so legs flow both ways at the start and end of each stay.
Quote this routeSafety and standards
A lower price never means a lower standard
An empty leg is flown by the same operator, crew and aircraft as the paid trip before it. Before you book, your quote names the operator so you can see exactly who is flying you.
Certificate
FAA Part 135
Charter for hire in the US must be flown under Part 135. We work only with certificated carriers, or the foreign equivalent abroad, that hold operational control.
Audit
ARGUS
Third-party ratings such as Gold, Gold+ and Platinum look at an operator's safety record, pilot experience and history.
Audit
Wyvern
The Wyvern Wingman standard reviews safety management, crew qualifications and maintenance practice through on-site audits.
Standard
IS-BAO
An international code of practice for business aviation, registered in three stages as an operator's safety system matures.
Questions
Empty legs, plainly answered
The short version of what people ask before their first one-way flight.
All questionsWhat exactly is an empty leg?
A flight an aircraft has to make without passengers, usually to get home after dropping someone off or to reach its next pickup. The route and time are fixed by that other trip, and the operator sells the empty cabin at a reduced price.
How much less does an empty leg cost?
Discounts of roughly 25 to 75 percent below a normal one-way charter are common. The figure depends on the aircraft, the route and how close to departure the leg is. Every price we send is all-in.
Can an empty leg be canceled?
Yes. If the original trip moves or is canceled, the empty leg usually goes with it. That is why we keep a regular charter quote ready for anyone with a firm date.
How do alerts work?
Tell us your home airports, how far you will travel to reach one, and roughly when you fly. When an operator releases a leg that fits, we email it with the aircraft, timing and total price. There is no membership and you can stop at any time.
What if no empty leg matches my trip?
We quote a regular charter for the same trip, one way or round trip, so you always have a firm option alongside any leg that might appear.
Can I bring my dog?
Plenty of operators let dogs and cats fly in the cabin once they have approved it. Mention the size and breed in your request so every aircraft we suggest will take them.
Who actually flies the aircraft?
Empty Legs Near Me is a charter broker. Every flight is operated by an FAA Part 135 carrier, or the foreign equivalent, which holds operational control. The operator is named before you book.
Notes
How empty legs really work
Airports
Why empty legs cluster around certain airports
Bases, busy destinations and parking limits decide where repositioning flights begin and end.
Timing
Seasonal patterns: when empty legs appear
Florida winters, ski weeks and island summers each leave a predictable trail of one-way flights.
Booking
How to read an empty-leg listing
Departure windows, aircraft type, what the price includes and the fine print worth checking.
Request a quote
Tell us where you fly from
Share the trip you have in mind. We look for empty legs that fit and price a regular charter alongside, so you can choose with both in front of you.
- 1We read every requestAn advisor checks your airports, dates and group size against current repositioning flights.
- 2You receive options by emailEach one lists the aircraft, operator, timing and an all-in price.
- 3You decideNothing is booked until you sign a charter agreement with the operator named.