How much do empty leg flights cost?

An empty leg flight is a private jet flight with no passengers booked on it, flown to reposition the aircraft, either back to base after a one-way charter or onward to collect its next client. Because the aircraft must make the journey anyway, operators sell it at a discount, typically 25–75% below the standard charter price for the same route.

That range is wide because an empty leg has no list price; each operator prices its own. This guide turns the range into money by aircraft size and route, then covers the taxes and fees on top and why some legs are discounted far more than others. Every figure below is a model estimate, not a quote; the methodology page sets out how each is calculated.

How much does an empty leg flight cost?

An empty leg flight typically costs 25–75% less than a standard one-way charter on the same aircraft and route, so its price depends mainly on the aircraft category and the flight time.

VistaJet says its empty legs can be “anywhere from 25-75% cheaper, depending on the particular flight details” (VistaJet, 2026). Business Travel Executive reported the same 25–75% range from XO and quoted Victor on savings of up to 75% (Business Travel Executive, 2023). Stratos Jets and Paramount Business Jets also put the ceiling at 75% (Stratos Jets, 2024; Paramount Business Jets, 2026), while Jetvice, a European guide, gives 40–75% off for flexible dates (Jetvice, 2026). No source publishes an audited average discount, so every estimate here uses the full band.

What does an empty leg cost by aircraft size?

For a sector of about one hour, the model puts an empty leg at roughly $500–$2,300 on a turboprop and $900–$4,100 on a light jet; for about 2.5 hours, roughly $2,200–$10,400 on a light jet and $5,600–$28,100 on a heavy jet.

The working is simple enough to check. The charter band is the category’s hourly rate multiplied by block time, rounded to the nearest $100. The hourly bands come from three published 2026 rate guides (Paramount Business Jets, 2026; Amalfi Jets, 2026; Jetvice, 2026). The empty leg band then takes 75% off the low end of the charter band and 25% off the high end. For a light jet over 2.5 hours: $3,500 × 2.5 = $8,750, rounded to $8,800, and 25% of that is $2,200; $5,500 × 2.5 = $13,750, rounded to $13,800, and 75% of that is $10,350, rounded to $10,400.

Aircraft category	Hourly band (USD)	Charter, ~1 h	Empty leg, ~1 h	Charter, ~2.5 h	Empty leg, ~2.5 h
Turboprop	$2,000–$3,100	$2,000–$3,100	$500–$2,300	$5,000–$7,800	$1,300–$5,900
Very light jet	$2,700–$3,500	$2,700–$3,500	$700–$2,600	$6,800–$8,800	$1,700–$6,600
Light jet	$3,500–$5,500	$3,500–$5,500	$900–$4,100	$8,800–$13,800	$2,200–$10,400
Midsize jet	$5,000–$8,000	$5,000–$8,000	$1,300–$6,000	$12,500–$20,000	$3,100–$15,000
Super-midsize jet	$7,500–$11,000	$7,500–$11,000	$1,900–$8,300	$18,800–$27,500	$4,700–$20,600
Heavy jet	$9,000–$15,000	$9,000–$15,000	$2,300–$11,300	$22,500–$37,500	$5,600–$28,100
Ultra-long-range jet	$14,000–$22,000	$14,000–$22,000	$3,500–$16,500	$35,000–$55,000	$8,800–$41,300

Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices. Whole aircraft, US dollars, before taxes and airport fees. One hour of block time is about 285 nautical miles on a light jet once taxi time is allowed for; 2.5 hours is about 855 nautical miles.

Real listings show where the floor sits. GlobeAir, a European very light jet operator, publishes fixed empty leg prices on its own site, with examples such as “Book for €1,090” and the statement that an empty leg price “can go as low as” €990, for up to four passengers (GlobeAir, 2026). That sits inside the model’s very light jet band. Listed prices change daily, and GlobeAir notes that “availabilities may be subject to changes” (GlobeAir, 2026).

What do empty legs cost on real routes?

On the route cost index, a light jet empty leg from London to Nice is estimated at £1,100–£5,300 and one from New York to Miami at $2,400–$11,300.

The route cost index applies the same model to every modelled city pair using great-circle distance. Short sectors are billed at a one-hour minimum, which is why Paris–Geneva and Los Angeles–Las Vegas share the same band.

Route	Distance	Light jet block time	Light jet charter	Light jet empty leg	Midsize jet empty leg
Paris to Geneva	222 nm	0.83 h (billed 1 h)	€3,100–€4,800 ($3,500–$5,500)	€800–€3,600 ($900–$4,100)	€1,100–€5,200 ($1,300–$6,000)
Los Angeles to Las Vegas	198 nm	0.77 h (billed 1 h)	$3,500–$5,500	$900–$4,100	$1,300–$6,000
Dubai to Riyadh	469 nm	1.49 h	$5,200–$8,200	$1,300–$6,200	$1,800–$8,400
London to Nice	555 nm	1.71 h	£4,500–£7,000 ($6,000–$9,400)	£1,100–£5,300 ($1,500–$7,100)	£1,500–£7,200 ($2,000–$9,600)
New York to Miami	949 nm	2.75 h	$9,600–$15,100	$2,400–$11,300	$3,200–$15,400

Model estimate, not a quote. See how we calculate prices. Sterling and euro figures use ECB reference rates for 18 September 2026. For the full charter picture on each route, see the private jet cost guide.

What is included in the price, and what is extra?

That depends on the operator, so ask for the all-in figure: US hourly rates usually exclude taxes and airport fees, while European quotes more often include them.

Paramount Business Jets says its US hourly rates include the aircraft, crew, fuel and standard fuel surcharge, insurance and standard catering, and that the 7.5% federal excise tax, the per-passenger segment fee, international head tax, positioning, crew overnights and landing and ramp fees are added to the quote (Paramount Business Jets, 2026). Amalfi Jets lists the same exclusions and adds handling, fuel surcharges and winter de-icing (Amalfi Jets, 2026). Jetvice says European quotes typically cover block hours, crew, a fuel surcharge, landing and handling, standard catering and applicable VAT, with positioning, crew overnights, de-icing and peak-day surcharges extra (Jetvice, 2026). On an empty leg the positioning flight is the product being sold, so the repositioning charge that inflates a one-way charter does not apply; why one-way private jet flights cost more explains that charge.

Item	Where it applies	2026 amount
Federal excise tax	US domestic flights	7.5% of the amount paid (IRS, 2026)
Domestic segment tax	US domestic flights	$5.30 per passenger per segment (IRS, 2026)
International facilities tax	Flights that begin or end in the US	$23.40 per person (IRS, 2026)
Air Passenger Duty, standard rate	UK departures	£16 domestic, £32 Band A, £244 Band B, £253 Band C per passenger (HMRC, 2026)
Air Passenger Duty, higher rate	UK departures on aircraft of 20 tonnes and above with fewer than 19 seats	£142 domestic and Band A, £1,097 Band B, £1,141 Band C per passenger (HMRC, 2026)
Landing and ramp fees	Most airports	$150–$2,000+ (Paramount Business Jets, 2026)
De-icing	Winter departures	€500–€4,000 (Jetvice, 2026)

The UK rates apply from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Per-passenger taxes are the one part of an empty leg price that rises with the size of the group. Listed flights on the Empty Leg Exclusive board show the operator’s price for the whole aircraft plus Empty Leg Exclusive’s booking fee; ask which taxes and airport fees that figure includes before paying.

What makes an empty leg cheap, or not?

Where an empty leg falls in the 25–75% band depends on how likely the operator is to sell the aircraft at full price instead, and on the aircraft, the season and the airports.

• Competing demand. An operator that expects a standard one-way charter on the same route and day has little reason to discount the empty leg. Cheap empty leg flights tend to be the ones nobody else wants: unfashionable direction, awkward hour, short notice.
• Season. Amalfi Jets reports summer 2026 charter pricing running 15% to 20% above the prior-year baseline (Amalfi Jets, 2026), and Jetvice puts peak-day surcharges at 10–30% (Jetvice, 2026). A 50% discount on a peak-season base is a smaller saving than it looks.
• Aircraft size. The discount is a percentage, so the same 50% saves far more in money on a heavy jet than on a turboprop.
• Fixed or moving timing. A leg whose time is set by the original client’s plans carries more risk, and that risk is part of the discount.
• Airports. A low price into a secondary airport can add an hour by road; cost the whole journey.

Is the price per seat or for the whole aircraft?

Most empty legs are priced for the whole aircraft, so one passenger pays the same as a full cabin.

That makes the per-person figure a matter of arithmetic. A light jet empty leg at the low end of the 2.5-hour band, $2,200, works out at about $370 each for six passengers before per-passenger taxes. Per-seat pricing exists mainly on US membership platforms. When XO opened empty legs to non-members in 2019, published examples ran from $295 to $695 per seat (Private Jet Card Comparisons, 2019), and a Vista Global executive told Business Travel Executive that seats could cost “as little as $120” through the app (Business Travel Executive, 2023). Those are historical examples, not current prices. Booking a single seat on an empty leg explains who sells seats and under what rules.

Why do empty leg prices change closer to departure?

Some sellers cut prices as departure approaches and others hold a fixed price; no published data shows a reliable pattern.

XO described “a sophisticated AI-driven dynamic pricing model to optimize load factor first and then yield” when it opened empty legs to non-members (Private Jet Card Comparisons, 2019). Operators that publish a fixed price, such as GlobeAir, show one figure until the flight is sold (GlobeAir, 2026). Timing also limits how long you can wait: VistaJet says empty leg details are “generally” not released until a few days before departure (VistaJet, 2026). A lower price tomorrow is worth nothing if a full-price client takes the aircraft today. How far ahead empty legs are published covers the timing in detail.

How do you compare an empty leg price properly?

Compare the all-in empty leg price with the full charter price and with the airline fallback, not with the headline discount.

1. Ask for the price in writing, including taxes, airport fees and any de-icing or catering charges.
2. Check it against the model charter band for the route on the cost guide; the saving is the gap between the two.
3. Price the airline seats for the same day; that is your cost if the leg is withdrawn.
4. Read the change and cancellation terms. What happens if an empty leg is cancelled sets out the usual outcomes.
5. Confirm the operator’s certificate. A price far below the market is a reason to check, not to rush; see how to check an operator is legal.

Empty Leg Exclusive is a broker and does not operate aircraft. It arranges flights with licensed operators, FAA Part 135 certificate holders in the United States and Air Operator Certificate holders in the United Kingdom and the EU, and will price a full charter alongside any empty leg so the saving can be seen before booking.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an empty leg flight cost?+

Typically 25–75% less than a standard one-way charter on the same aircraft and route. On Empty Leg Exclusive’s model, a one-hour light jet empty leg is estimated at $900–$4,100 and a 2.5-hour midsize jet empty leg at $3,100–$15,000, for the whole aircraft, before taxes and fees. These are model estimates, not quotes.

Are taxes included in empty leg prices?+

Not always. Paramount Business Jets says US quotes add the 7.5% federal excise tax and $5.30 per-passenger segment fee, while Jetvice says European quotes usually include VAT, landing and handling. UK departures also pay Air Passenger Duty per passenger. Ask for the all-in price in writing.

Why are some empty legs so much cheaper than others?+

Because each operator prices against the chance of selling the aircraft at full price instead. Legs in an unpopular direction, at short notice or at awkward hours tend to sit near the 75% end; legs on busy routes in peak season are discounted less, and summer base rates were higher in 2026.

Is an empty leg priced per person?+

Usually not. Most empty legs are sold as the whole aircraft, so the per-person cost falls with each passenger added; only per-passenger taxes rise. Per-seat pricing exists mainly on US membership platforms such as XO, which sells seats on shared flights.

Do empty leg prices drop at the last minute?+

Sometimes. XO has described dynamic pricing, while operators such as GlobeAir publish a fixed price. No published data shows a reliable pattern, and waiting risks losing the flight to a full-price client, so book when the all-in price works for the trip.

Sources

1. VistaJet, Empty Legs (accessed 2026-10-05)
2. Business Travel Executive, Empty Legs, Empty Promises? (2 February 2023) (accessed 2026-10-05)
3. Stratos Jets, Empty-leg Flights: The No. 1 Risk and How to Save Money (7 May 2024) (accessed 2026-10-05)
4. Paramount Business Jets, Private Jet Rental: Jet Cost and Hourly Rates (2026), rates verified August 2026 (accessed 2026-10-05)
5. Amalfi Jets, Private Jet Cost Per Hour 2026: Rates by Jet Type (15 June 2026) (accessed 2026-10-05)
6. Jetvice, Private Jet Charter Hourly Rates 2026: Cost by Aircraft and Flight Length, updated 1 October 2026 (accessed 2026-10-05)
7. GlobeAir, Empty leg flights (accessed 2026-10-05)
8. IRS, Instructions for Form 720 (Rev. June 2026): Transportation of persons by air (IRS No. 26 and 27) (accessed 2026-10-05)
9. HM Revenue and Customs, Air Passenger Duty rates from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 (accessed 2026-10-05)
10. Private Jet Card Comparisons, Vista Global’s XO is now offering empty legs to non-members (28 August 2019) (accessed 2026-10-05)

Last reviewed 5 October 2026 by Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team.