Empty Leg Flights: How to Fly Private at a Fraction of the Cost

Empty leg flights remain one of the best-kept secrets in private aviation — offering the same aircraft, crew, and service at discounts of up to 75% off standard charter rates.

What Exactly is an Empty Leg?

When a private jet is booked for a one-way charter, the aircraft must reposition back to its base or fly to its next booking. This repositioning flight is called an empty leg. Rather than fly with an empty cabin, operators offer these flights at heavily reduced rates.

The Advantages

Significant savings. Discounts of 50-75% are common. A London to Nice flight that might cost £15,000 as a standard charter could be available for £4,000-£6,000 as an empty leg.

Same experience. You fly on the same aircraft with the same crew. The only difference is the price.

Premium aircraft. Empty legs are often available on larger, more luxurious aircraft than you might normally charter, as heavy jets frequently reposition after long-haul flights.

The Trade-offs

Fixed routing. The departure and arrival airports are set by the operator. There is limited flexibility on routing.

Date sensitivity. Empty legs are tied to specific dates, sometimes with only a few days' notice. Flexibility on travel dates is essential.

Cancellation risk. If the primary charter that created the empty leg is cancelled, your empty leg may also be cancelled.

How to Access Empty Legs

Contact Jet Hire Direct and let us know your preferred routes and travel dates. We maintain a live database of available empty leg flights across Europe and worldwide, and can alert you when suitable flights become available.

For frequent travellers, our empty leg notification service sends you real-time alerts for routes matching your preferences.