Empty legs — also known as positioning flights, deadhead flights, or ferry flights — are one of the best-kept secrets in private aviation. If you're flexible, an empty leg lets you fly on the same jet, with the same service and safety as a regular charter — at 40–70% less. This article explains how it works and what to watch out for. A full overview of all current empty leg deals in Europe is available on our Empty Legs Europe page.
What Is an Empty Leg?
An empty leg arises whenever a private jet has to fly without passengers. This happens in two typical situations:
Return flight after a charter
A client books a one-way flight from Zurich to London. After landing in London, the jet needs to return to its home base — say, Zurich. That return flight happens whether or not anyone is on board.
Positioning for the next assignment
A jet is based in Munich, but the next client wants to depart from Nice. The jet flies empty from Munich to Nice. If you happen to need exactly that route — jackpot.
In both cases, the costs for fuel, crew, landing fees, and maintenance are incurred regardless. Every euro the operator earns from an empty leg passenger is pure contribution margin. That's why discounts can be so high.
How Much Do You Save with an Empty Leg?
Operators typically offer empty legs at a 40–70% discount compared to the regular charter price. The exact discount depends on:
- How last-minute the flight is: The closer the departure, the greater the operator's pressure to fill the seat
- How popular the route is: An empty leg from London to Ibiza in July fills faster than Frankfurt to Hanover in November
- Whether the route can be adjusted: Some operators allow minor detours — e.g. landing in Geneva instead of Zurich if that works better
Concrete example:
| Criterion | Regular Charter | Empty Leg |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Munich → London | Munich → London |
| Aircraft | Light Jet (e.g. Phenom 300) | Same light jet |
| Price | approx. €9,000–€12,000 | approx. €3,000–€5,000 |
| Service | Full | Identical |
| Safety | EASA certified | Identical |
The only difference: the route and timing are fixed. You adapt to the jet's schedule, not the other way around.
How Do You Find Empty Legs?
Traditionally, it was nearly impossible for private clients to access empty legs. Brokers had exclusive access to operator schedules. Anyone without personal industry contacts never heard about available positioning flights.
Technology is changing this. Platforms that connect directly to operators' flight management systems (FMS) can automatically detect empty legs and publish them in real time. As soon as an operator confirms a one-way charter, the resulting positioning flight becomes visible as a "Hot Deal" — with no manual effort from the operator and no delay for the client.
JetOpti automatically detects empty legs from the Leon and FL3XX schedules of connected operators and displays them as Hot Deals on the Live Map — in real time, no registration required.
What to Watch Out For with Empty Legs
Flexibility is essential
Empty legs have fixed departure points, destinations, and time windows. If you absolutely need to fly from Hamburg to Mallorca on July 15th, you'll rarely find a matching positioning flight. But if you say "I'm flexible this week and want to go somewhere in the Mediterranean," your chances are much better.
Cancellation risk
An empty leg only exists because another charter has been booked. If the main charter is cancelled, the positioning flight disappears too. This risk is low — most charter flights go ahead — but it exists. In the event of cancellation, you typically receive a full refund.
No free route choice
Unlike a regular charter, you can't freely choose the route and timing with an empty leg. Minor adjustments are sometimes possible (e.g. a short diversion or slightly different destination airport), but that's the operator's call.
Always one-way
Empty legs are always one-way flights. If you need a return trip, you'll either need to find two separate empty legs (unlikely) or charter the return flight at regular rates.
Tip: For empty legs from German airports, it's worth checking Monday and Friday evenings — that's when most business charter flights are blocked, generating the most positioning flights back to home base.
Who Are Empty Legs Best Suited For?
Empty legs are ideal for travellers with a specific profile:
- Flexible business travellers with a few days' leeway on their travel date
- Holiday travellers looking for a destination rather than a fixed one — "where's a jet headed?" rather than "I must get to Ibiza"
- Groups splitting the cost — a light jet for €4,000 between 6 people is €667 per person
- Last-minute travellers who can snap up a deal spontaneously
- First-timers wanting to experience private flying without paying the full charter price
Empty Legs in Real Time — on the Live Map
JetOpti automatically detects positioning flights and displays them as Hot Deals on the Live Map. No registration required — just see what's available right now.