How to find empty leg flights
Empty leg flights are listed on operators’ own websites, on broker sites such as Empty Leg Exclusive, and in apps that pool several sources. Most flights appear a few days before departure, some only hours before, at typically 25–75% below the standard charter price, so route alerts on a flexible window find more flights than browsing.
| Typical discount | 25–75% below the standard charter price for the same route |
|---|---|
| Typical notice | A few days before departure; sometimes hours |
| Share of flights flown empty | 41% of European business aviation flights in 2014 (EBAA data, Booz Allen Hamilton 2016) |
| US operator check | FAA list of Part 135 operators, added to the Safe Air Charter site in May 2026 |
| UK operator check | CAA list of Air Operator Certificate holders |
| Illegal charter hotline (US) | 888-759-3581 (Air Charter Safety Foundation) |
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.
The difficulty is not that empty legs are rare. A Booz Allen Hamilton study, using EBAA data, found that 41% of all business aviation flights in Europe in 2014 were empty legs (Booz Allen Hamilton, 2016). The difficulty is that each one is tied to somebody else’s booking, so it appears late, moves without warning, and matches your plans only occasionally. Finding one is a search problem with three parts: knowing where flights are listed, setting alerts so the listing finds you, and checking the operator before money changes hands.
Where are empty leg flights listed?
Empty legs are listed in three places: on operators’ own websites, on broker sites such as Empty Leg Exclusive, and in apps or aggregators that pool several sources.
Operators with their own fleets, VistaJet and Magellan Jets among them, publish repositioning flights on their own pages and offer alerts by route (VistaJet, 2026; Magellan Jets, 2026). An operator’s page shows only that operator’s aircraft, so coverage of any single route is thin. A broker sees inventory from many operators and can ask them directly about repositioning flights that were never advertised. An aggregator or app pulls listings from several brokers and operators, which widens the view but can leave flights on screen after they have been sold or withdrawn. None of the three is complete on its own.
| Channel | What is shown | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator’s own site | That operator’s repositioning flights, often with route alerts | Direct from the source; the terms are the operator’s own | One fleet only, so thin coverage on any route |
| Broker site, for example Empty Leg Exclusive | Flights from many operators, plus unlisted legs on request | Wide coverage; one contact who can price a full charter alongside | Adds a margin; depends on operators keeping the broker updated |
| App or aggregator | Listings pooled from several brokers and operators | The widest view in one place | Stale or duplicated listings; the booking still goes through a third party |
| Route alerts by email or app | New listings matching a saved route and date window | The listing reaches you within hours of publication | Only as good as the window you set |
How much notice should you expect?
Most empty legs appear a few days before departure, and some appear only hours before.
VistaJet tells customers that the details of an empty leg “generally will not be released until a few days before it is due to depart” (VistaJet, 2026). Magellan Jets says that “some empty legs are listed days in advance while others appear with just hours of notice” (Magellan Jets, 2026). Longer-dated listings exist, usually from fleet operators with predictable repositioning, but they remain subject to change until the day. The practical rule is to start looking a week or two out and to expect the flight you take to have been listed within a few days of departure.
How do you search efficiently?
Search by a date window and a region, not by an exact date and a single airport.
- Fix the window first. Decide the earliest and latest day you could travel, and the latest time you could leave on each. A window of two or three days catches several times as many listings as a single date.
- Search both directions and nearby airports. An aircraft that flew into Nice may reposition from Nice or from Cannes. Search the region, then check the drive time from each airport.
- Set alerts rather than browsing. Because most legs are published days out, a saved route with alerts is the only way to see a listing early enough to act. Set the alert on the widest window you can live with.
- Check the aircraft category. A very light jet with four seats is no use for six passengers with skis. Filter by seats and baggage before you look at price.
- Ask a broker for unlisted legs. Operators do not publish every repositioning flight. A broker can ask an operator whether an aircraft is due to move on your route on your dates.
- Keep a fallback. Prefer routes between airports with frequent airline service, so that a withdrawn leg costs an airline fare rather than the trip.
How do you check the operator before paying?
Check that the company flying you holds a commercial certificate; the site that lists the flight is usually not the operator.
In the United States, commercial charter is flown under FAA Part 135. In May 2026 the FAA added a searchable list of certificated Part 135 operators to its Safe Air Charter website so that passengers and brokers can verify whether a company is authorised to fly commercially (AVweb, 2026). NBAA advises asking any charter provider for a copy of its air carrier certificate, or at least its certificate number, and treating a refusal as a warning sign. Its other warning signs include separate invoices for the aircraft and the pilots, a bill with no federal excise tax, and a price far below the market. Suspected illegal charter can be reported to the Air Charter Safety Foundation hotline on 888-759-3581 (NBAA, 2019).
In the United Kingdom, any company that carries passengers for payment must, by law, hold an Air Operator Certificate, and the CAA publishes a downloadable list of aeroplane and helicopter AOC holders with their contact details (UK CAA, 2026). In the EU the equivalent certificate is also called an AOC and is issued under EU air operations rules. Ask the broker for the operator’s name and check it against the relevant list before you pay a deposit.
What does a broker add, and what does it cost?
A broker widens the search and handles the contract; the cost is a margin on the flight.
Empty Leg Exclusive is a broker. It 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 it states the operator’s change and cancellation terms on each listing. A broker can ask operators about repositioning flights that never reach a public page, and can price a full charter alongside an empty leg so that the saving is visible in one comparison. Against that, a broker adds its margin, and a broker cannot make an empty leg more reliable than the booking that created it.
What are the limits of any search?
No search tool changes what an empty leg is: one direction, a fixed route, and dependent on another client’s plans.
If the original client changes dates, the leg moves or disappears, and VistaJet is direct about the consequence: the customer “will need to make other travel arrangements at the last minute” (VistaJet, 2026). Empty legs suit trips that could move by a day and still be worth taking, and travellers who can accept a refund and an airline seat as the worst case. For a meeting at a fixed hour, price a full charter instead. The search is worth the effort when the answer to “what if it vanishes?” is “then we fly another way”, and not otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one site that lists every empty leg?
No. Operators publish their own repositioning flights, brokers pool inventory from many operators, and aggregators pool brokers. None is complete, and some repositioning flights are never advertised. Alerts on your route across one or two sources, plus a broker who can ask operators directly, cover more ground than any single page.
How far ahead should I start looking?
A week or two out is usually enough. VistaJet says details are generally released only a few days before departure, and Magellan Jets says some legs appear with hours of notice. Longer-dated listings exist from fleet operators, but they stay subject to change until the day.
How do I know the operator is legitimate?
Ask for the operator’s name and certificate. In the US, check the FAA’s list of Part 135 operators and ask for the air carrier certificate, as NBAA advises. In the UK, check the CAA’s list of Air Operator Certificate holders. A listing site is not the operator, so check the operator, not the site.
Does Empty Leg Exclusive fly the aircraft?
No. Empty Leg Exclusive is a broker. It arranges flights with licensed operators, FAA Part 135 certificate holders in the US and Air Operator Certificate holders in the UK and EU, and states each operator’s terms on the listing. The operator supplies the aircraft and crew and is responsible for the flight.
Sources
- Booz Allen Hamilton, Economic Impact of Business Aviation in Europe (2016), hosted by NBAA (accessed 2026-09-20)
- VistaJet, Empty Legs (accessed 2026-09-20)
- Magellan Jets, Empty Leg Private Flights (accessed 2026-09-20)
- AVweb, FAA Adds Certified Part 135 Operators To Safe Air Charter Website (11 May 2026) (accessed 2026-09-20)
- NBAA, The Risks of Flying With Illegal Charter Operators (8 February 2019) (accessed 2026-09-20)
- UK Civil Aviation Authority, Holders of air operator certificates (accessed 2026-09-20)
Last reviewed 20 September 2026 by Empty Leg Exclusive Editorial Team.
