Empty leg flights in United States.
Empty leg flights in United States are discounted one-way private jet flights created when aircraft reposition between bookings at Los Angeles, Miami, New York and 7 other cities. They typically cost 25–75% less than a standard charter. The United States recorded over 1.5 million private jet departures in the first half of 2024, more than any other country.
| Cities covered | Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Aspen, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Airports | 22 |
| Terminology | “Private jet charter” is the usual term |
| Prices shown in | USD |
| Empty legs on the board today | 0 |
| Private jet departures, H1 2024 | over 1.5 million (Blacklane, 2026) |
Which cities in United States have empty leg flights?
10 cities in United States are covered, led by Los Angeles.
Which airports in United States handle private jets?
22 airports across 10 cities, 9 of them business-aviation airports.
Airport data from OurAirports (OurAirports open data (public domain), 2026).
Which domestic routes produce empty legs in United States?
The domestic pair with the largest markets at both ends is New York to Miami, 949 nautical miles.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York to Miami | 949 nm | 2h 45m | $2,400–$11,300 |
| Miami to New York | 949 nm | 2h 45m | $2,400–$11,300 |
| Miami to Los Angeles | 2,029 nm | 5h 12m | $6,500–$31,200 |
| Los Angeles to Miami | 2,029 nm | 5h 12m | $6,500–$31,200 |
| New York to Los Angeles | 2,125 nm | 5h 26m | $6,800–$32,600 |
| Los Angeles to New York | 2,125 nm | 5h 26m | $6,800–$32,600 |
| New York to Boston | 165 nm | 0h 41m | $900–$4,100 |
| Boston to New York | 165 nm | 0h 41m | $900–$4,100 |
| New York to Washington, D.C. | 177 nm | 0h 43m | $900–$4,100 |
| Washington, D.C. to New York | 177 nm | 0h 43m | $900–$4,100 |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Which international routes from United States have the most empty legs?
New York to Montreal leads, with New York to Toronto, Miami to Toronto, Miami to Montreal close behind.
| Route | Distance | Block time | Empty leg (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York to Montreal | 288 nm | 1h 01m | $900–$4,100 |
| New York to Toronto | 298 nm | 1h 02m | $900–$4,300 |
| Miami to Toronto | 1,075 nm | 3h 05m | $2,700–$12,700 |
| Miami to Montreal | 1,227 nm | 3h 29m | $3,100–$14,300 |
| Los Angeles to Toronto | 1,887 nm | 4h 51m | $6,100–$29,100 |
| Los Angeles to Montreal | 2,141 nm | 5h 28m | $6,900–$32,900 |
| New York to London | 3,008 nm | 7h 05m | $13,300–$58,400 |
| New York to Paris | 3,152 nm | 7h 06m | $16,000–$79,900 |
| New York to Geneva | 3,357 nm | 7h 33m | $17,000–$84,900 |
| New York to Zurich | 3,415 nm | 7h 40m | $17,300–$86,300 |
| New York to Nice | 3,467 nm | 7h 47m | $17,500–$87,600 |
| New York to Milan | 3,490 nm | 7h 50m | $17,600–$88,200 |
Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices.
Questions about empty legs in United States
Which cities in United States have the most empty legs?
Los Angeles, Miami, New York are the largest private jet markets in United States 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 United States?
“Charter” is the usual term in United States; “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.
Your next flight. Let’s find it.
Tell us where you want to go and when. We will check the empty legs that fit and reply the same day.
- Licensed operators only
- Same-day replies
- Whole-aircraft pricing, no seat fees