Empty leg flights in Germany.
Empty leg flights in Germany are discounted one-way private jet flights created when aircraft reposition between bookings at Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and 2 other cities. They typically cost 25–75% less than a standard charter. Germany recorded 43,471 private jet departures in the first half of 2024, third in Europe after France and the United Kingdom.
| Cities covered | Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich |
|---|---|
| Airports | 5 |
| Terminology | “Private jet charter” is the usual term |
| Prices shown in | EUR with USD in brackets |
| Empty legs on the board today | 2 |
| Private jet departures, H1 2024 | 43,471 (Blacklane, 2026) |
Which cities in Germany have empty leg flights?
5 cities in Germany are covered, led by Berlin.
Which airports in Germany handle private jets?
5 airports across 5 cities, 0 of them business-aviation airports.
| Airport | Codes | City | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Brandenburg Airport | EDDB / BER | Berlin | 4,000 m |
| Düsseldorf Airport | EDDL / DUS | Düsseldorf | 3,000 m |
| Frankfurt Main Airport | EDDF / FRA | Frankfurt | 4,000 m |
| Hamburg Helmut Schmidt Airport | EDDH / HAM | Hamburg | 3,666 m |
| Munich Airport | EDDM / MUC | Munich | 4,000 m |
Airport data from OurAirports (OurAirports open data (public domain), 2026).
Which domestic routes produce empty legs in Germany?
The domestic pair with the largest markets at both ends is Frankfurt to Düsseldorf, 99 nautical miles.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt to Düsseldorf | 99 nm | 0h 31m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to Frankfurt | 99 nm | 0h 31m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Berlin to Hamburg | 137 nm | 0h 37m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Hamburg to Berlin | 137 nm | 0h 37m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Munich to Frankfurt | 164 nm | 0h 41m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Munich | 164 nm | 0h 41m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Hamburg to Düsseldorf | 183 nm | 0h 44m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to Hamburg | 183 nm | 0h 44m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Hamburg | 212 nm | 0h 49m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Hamburg to Frankfurt | 212 nm | 0h 49m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Which international routes from Germany have the most empty legs?
Munich to Zurich leads, with Frankfurt to Zurich, Munich to Milan, Düsseldorf to Paris close behind.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munich to Zurich | 131 nm | 0h 36m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Zurich | 164 nm | 0h 41m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Munich to Milan | 188 nm | 0h 45m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to Paris | 222 nm | 0h 50m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to Zurich | 241 nm | 0h 53m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Munich to Geneva | 250 nm | 0h 54m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Geneva | 256 nm | 0h 55m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Paris | 258 nm | 0h 56m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to London | 259 nm | 0h 56m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Frankfurt to Milan | 280 nm | 0h 59m | €785–€3,578 ($900–$4,100) |
| Düsseldorf to Geneva | 303 nm | 1h 03m | €785–€3,839 ($900–$4,400) |
| Munich to Nice | 321 nm | 1h 06m | €873–€3,927 ($1,000–$4,500) |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Questions about empty legs in Germany
Which cities in Germany have the most empty legs?
Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt are the largest private jet markets in Germany 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 Germany?
“Charter” is the usual term in Germany; “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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