Empty leg flights in France.
Empty leg flights in France are discounted one-way private jet flights created when aircraft reposition between bookings at Nice, Paris, Chambéry and 1 other city. They typically cost 25–75% less than a standard charter. France recorded 56,294 private jet departures in the first half of 2024, the most of any European country.
| Cities covered | Nice, Paris, Chambéry, Lyon |
|---|---|
| Airports | 6 |
| Terminology | “Private jet charter” is the usual term |
| Prices shown in | EUR with USD in brackets |
| Empty legs on the board today | 4 |
| Private jet departures, H1 2024 | 56,294 (Blacklane, 2026) |
Which cities in France have empty leg flights?
4 cities in France are covered, led by Nice.
Which airports in France handle private jets?
6 airports across 4 cities, 4 of them business-aviation airports.
| Airport | Codes | City | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice-Côte d'Azur Airport | LFMN / NCE | Nice | 2,963 m |
| Cannes Mandelieu Airport | LFMD / CEQ | Nice | 1,540 m |
| Paris-Le Bourget International Airport | LFPB / LBG | Paris | 3,000 m |
| Charles de Gaulle International Airport | LFPG / CDG | Paris | 4,215 m |
| Chambéry Aix les Bains airport | LFLB / CMF | Chambéry | 2,020 m |
| Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport | LFLL / LYS | Lyon | 4,000 m |
Airport data from OurAirports (OurAirports open data (public domain), 2026).
Which domestic routes produce empty legs in France?
The domestic pair with the largest markets at both ends is Paris to Nice, 370 nautical miles.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris to Nice | 370 nm | 1h 13m | €960–€4,363 ($1,100–$5,000) |
| Nice to Paris | 370 nm | 1h 13m | €960–€4,363 ($1,100–$5,000) |
| Nice to Chambéry | 126 nm | 0h 35m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Chambéry to Nice | 126 nm | 0h 35m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Nice to Lyon | 162 nm | 0h 41m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Lyon to Nice | 162 nm | 0h 41m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to Lyon | 211 nm | 0h 48m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Lyon to Paris | 211 nm | 0h 48m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to Chambéry | 245 nm | 0h 54m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Chambéry to Paris | 245 nm | 0h 54m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Which international routes from France have the most empty legs?
Nice to Milan leads, with Nice to Geneva, Paris to London, Paris to Geneva close behind.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nice to Milan | 134 nm | 0h 36m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Nice to Geneva | 157 nm | 0h 40m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to London | 185 nm | 0h 44m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to Geneva | 222 nm | 0h 50m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Nice to Zurich | 227 nm | 0h 51m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to Zurich | 263 nm | 0h 57m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Paris to Milan | 345 nm | 1h 10m | €873–€4,188 ($1,000–$4,800) |
| Nice to Ibiza | 390 nm | 1h 17m | €960–€4,625 ($1,100–$5,300) |
| Nice to London | 555 nm | 1h 43m | €1,309–€6,195 ($1,500–$7,100) |
| Paris to Ibiza | 599 nm | 1h 50m | €1,396–€6,545 ($1,600–$7,500) |
| Lyon to Geneva | 61 nm | 0h 25m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Chambéry to Milan | 138 nm | 0h 37m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Questions about empty legs in France
Which cities in France have the most empty legs?
Nice, Paris, Chambéry are the largest private jet markets in France covered on this site, and positioning flights follow that traffic. City pages list the airports and routes for each.
Do I say private jet hire or charter in France?
“Charter” is the usual term in France; “hire” and “rental” are understood and mean the same thing.
Are empty leg flights safe?
Yes. They are flown by the same licensed operators, crews and aircraft as full-price charters, under the same regulations: FAA Part 135 in the United States and an Air Operator Certificate in the UK and EU. The discount reflects scheduling, not standards.
What documents do I need?
A passport for international flights and government photo ID for domestic flights. Visa rules are the same as for airline travel.
Sources
- OurAirports open data (public domain), 2026-09-20 (accessed 2026-09-20). Airport codes, coordinates, elevation and runway lengths.
- Wikidata (CC0), 2026-09-20 (accessed 2026-09-20). City-centre coordinates used for airport-to-city distances.
- European Central Bank euro foreign exchange reference rates (via frankfurter.dev), 2026-09-18 (accessed 2026-09-20). Rates used for USD, EUR and GBP conversions.
- Business Travel Executive, "Empty Legs, Empty Promises?", 2023-02-02 (accessed 2026-09-20). XO estimate that 30–50% of the charter fleet often flies empty; Victor on savings of up to 75%; Chapman Freeborn on change and cancellation risk.
- Blacklane, "The World’s Busiest Private Jet Airports – 2026 Guide" (citing Private Jet Card Comparisons), 2026-08-27 (accessed 2026-09-20). Private jet departures in the first half of 2024: United States over 1.5 million, Canada just under 102,000, France 56,294, United Kingdom 48,965, Australia 44,448, Germany 43,471, Mexico 41,694. The article is a 2026 update but the country figures it quotes are for H1 2024.
Last reviewed 20 September 2026 by Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team.
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