Empty leg vs charter: which one fits your trip?
Empty leg vs charter comes down to who sets the schedule, and what happens to your trip if that schedule changes. JETAURA arranges both. The flight itself is carried out by the respective operator.
Empty leg vs charter: what actually separates them?
A charter is planned around your trip: you set the route, date and time, and the operator schedules an aircraft, subject to availability. An empty leg is planned around someone else's trip. It follows the operator's existing flight plan, so route and departure time are often less flexible, and it can be cancelled or moved if the underlying charter changes.
An empty leg arises, for example, when a private jet flies back without passengers to its next operating location after a flight. You are fitting into that flight. The basics are covered in how empty legs work.
| Charter | Empty leg | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sets the plan | You, together with the operator | The operator's existing schedule |
| Route | Your departure and destination | Where the aircraft needs to go next |
| Departure time | Your requested time, subject to availability | Often less flexible |
| Aircraft | Selected for your trip, subject to availability | The aircraft already scheduled for that flight |
| If the plan behind it changes | Your flight is the plan | Can be cancelled or moved |
| Price logic | An individual offer for your trip | Can be cheaper; depends on route, timing, aircraft and availability |
Positioning the aircraft is one of the factors behind any charter price, along with route, aircraft type, number of passengers, date and availability. We don't put a percentage on the difference between an empty leg and a charter: only an individual offer shows it.
What is the risk of an empty leg?
An empty leg depends on a charter you have no part in. If that charter moves, your empty leg moves with it. If it is cancelled, your empty leg can disappear.
For a flexible weekend, that risk may be acceptable. For a board meeting or a connecting flight, a moved departure can break the whole day. We would rather say this before a booking than after it.
So ask first: what happens to my trip if this flight doesn't go?
Decision tree: empty leg or full charter?
Work through the questions in order. A fallback here means a charter on the same route, subject to availability.
- Is your arrival time or date fixed? Yes → request a charter. No → continue.
- Do you need a specific departure or arrival airport? Yes → a charter fits better. No → continue.
- Does your group need a particular aircraft? Yes → a charter fits better, because an empty leg uses the aircraft already scheduled for that flight. No → continue.
- Do you need a return flight on a set date? Yes → plan the return as a charter, whatever you do for the outbound flight. Then continue for the outbound flight.
- Do you have a fallback if the empty leg is cancelled or moved? No → a charter fits better. Yes → an empty leg is a realistic option.
Two examples show how it plays out. Both are illustrations.
A traveller has a board meeting at a fixed time. Question 1 ends the tree: charter. They send departure, destination, date and number of passengers and receive suitable options.
A couple plans a weekend away with room either side. They could postpone, and a charter on the same route would also work for them. They pass all five questions, so they send a route and a time window instead of a single day.
Who operates the flight in either case?
In both cases, an operator carries out the flight. JETAURA arranges it and does not operate aircraft.
Under U.S. rules, 14 CFR § 119.5(g) states that no person may operate as a direct air carrier or as a commercial operator "without, or in violation of, an appropriate certificate and appropriate operations specifications" (1-1-25 CFR edition).
According to UK Regulation 965/2012, ORO.AOC.100, an operator must "apply for and obtain an air operator certificate (AOC) issued by the CAA" before commencing commercial air transport operations.
What this means in practice for your request
For a charter, we need four details: departure, destination, date and number of passengers. Tell us your preferences at the time of your request. Our Aviation Team checks suitable options with operators and puts together an individual offer.
For an empty leg, the date works differently. Send us your route and a time window instead of a single day. A window gives us more to match against the operators' existing plans. A single date narrows it.
Whether an empty leg exists on your route depends on where operators' aircraft need to be.
We don't publish a live list. Availability changes by the hour. If you want to understand where a broker's role ends and the operator's begins, read how a private jet broker works.
Questions people also ask
Can I fly out on an empty leg and back on a charter?
Outbound and return are separate flights. The return can be planned as its own charter around your date. The outbound empty leg stays tied to the operator's existing schedule, so if it is cancelled or moved, that flight would need a charter as well, subject to availability.
What happens to my trip if the empty leg is cancelled?
If an empty leg is cancelled because the charter behind it changes, your trip needs another solution, such as a charter on the same route, subject to availability. Plan that fallback before you rely on an empty leg, especially if your arrival time or date is fixed.
When is a regular charter the better choice?
A regular charter is the better choice when your arrival time or date is fixed, when you need a return flight on a set date, or when you have no fallback if the flight is cancelled. An empty leg follows the operator's existing flight plan and can be cancelled or moved if the charter behind it changes.
What details should an empty leg request include?
An empty leg request should include your departure and destination, a time window rather than a single date, and the number of passengers. Say whether your date is fixed. Whether a matching empty leg exists depends on where operators' aircraft need to be, and it can change if the charter behind it changes.
Planning a flight? Start with your route
Written by the Aviation Team at JETAURA · 15 September 2026
About JETAURA JETAURA arranges private jet charter flights through a network of aviation partners and operators. We check suitable aircraft for each request and put together matching options; the flight itself is carried out by the respective operator.
Sources
- U.S. Government Publishing Office / FAA: 14 CFR § 119.5(g) (PDF covers § 119.1–§ 119.5), 1-1-25 Edition, retrieved 15 September 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Regulation (EU) No 965/2012, Annex III (UK version), ORO.AOC.100, retrieved 15 September 2026