Empty Leg Flights for Mardi Gras
6 flights available from $7705 — New Orleans, LA
Available flights for Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is a season, not a single event. Parades and celebrations build from Epiphany (January 6) through the weeks before Fat Tuesday, with the major krewe parades running the final 10 days before the holiday. Fat Tuesday itself falls 47 days before Easter, which shifts the date each year from early February to early March.
Private aviation concentrates on the final weekend before Fat Tuesday. Most attendees arrive Thursday and Friday for the major parades, with Fat Tuesday itself drawing the last wave. Operators who fly in passengers Thursday and Friday typically reposition aircraft to Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta for the week, then return for the Tuesday-Wednesday departure wave.
New Orleans is one of the most compressed departure events in private aviation. On Fat Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, aircraft move out of both New Orleans airports in high volume. Operators who held aircraft through Fat Tuesday charter outbound at full rate; those who repositioned to Baton Rouge or Houston compete to capture the outbound demand.
The krewe parade calendar shapes the specific demand windows more than many out-of-town attendees expect. The weekend before Fat Tuesday features Bacchus (Sunday) and Endymion (Saturday) -- the two largest celebrity-heavy parades -- which draw the most concentrated private jet arrivals of the entire season. Super Krewes like Orpheus (Monday before Fat Tuesday) extend the VIP parade through the final days. Corporate hospitality focuses on the Bacchus-Endymion weekend as the premium event slot; understanding which parade weekend aligns with your calendar determines the right arrival day.
Where to land for Mardi Gras
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (KMSY) is the primary Mardi Gras gateway. Ramp space at Signature and Sheltair fills weeks in advance for the peak weekend. Book early; operators who arrive without pre-arranged space during the peak weekend get redirected. KMSY is 15 miles from the French Quarter with reliable ground transport.
New Orleans Lakefront Airport (KNEW), 5 miles from the French Quarter, offers the fastest ground connection to the city. Its smaller ramp fills even earlier than KMSY during Mardi Gras. Operators who prioritize passenger convenience over ramp logistics favor Lakefront for drop-offs and pickups, and the location on the lake is a natural fit for aircraft arriving from Florida and the Southeast.
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport (KBTR) is 80 miles west and handles overflow when both New Orleans airports are at capacity. The drive from Baton Rouge to the French Quarter takes 75-90 minutes. Some groups plan Baton Rouge arrivals intentionally to skip New Orleans airport congestion, particularly for mid-week visits when the drive is more predictable.
Ground transport from KMSY to the French Quarter runs 5-0 by car service. During peak parade hours on Bacchus and Endymion weekend, plan for 45-75 minutes rather than the standard 25 minutes, as St. Charles Avenue and other parade routes close to vehicle traffic.
When to book empty legs for Mardi Gras
Empty legs toward New Orleans start appearing two weeks before Fat Tuesday, with the clearest inventory on the Thursday and Friday of the final weekend. Those are positioning legs: operators fly paying passengers in and immediately reposition out, creating outbound legs from KMSY and KNEW at below-market rates.
The best discount window is Wednesday morning after Fat Tuesday. Operators who held aircraft through the holiday need to move quickly. Wednesday-morning outbound legs appear in volume and at prices well below standard charter rates on Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Chicago routes.
If you're targeting the Bacchus-Endymion weekend specifically, Friday arrival (day of Endymion) is the most crowded single arrival day. Thursday afternoon gives you a better ramp experience and positions you for both major parades. Early departures on Monday after Bacchus/Endymion are generally available at normal pricing, as many corporate groups leave before Fat Tuesday.
Booking specific legs during the peak weekend itself is difficult. Most aircraft are committed well in advance. The week before and Wednesday after Fat Tuesday are when the flexibility-for-discount trade works best.
What it costs to fly private to Mardi Gras
Current empty legs arriving near New Orleans, LA range from $7,000 to $11,700, with an average around $10,150. By aircraft size: midsize jets at $7,000-$11,700.
Among the routes with current inventory: from West Palm Beach, FL at $10,800-$11,700; from Jacksonville, FL at $7,000; from Stuart, FL at $11,100. These prices change as operators update their schedules, so the specific routes and rates shift from week to week.
Of the 11 active legs in our system heading toward this area, 4 have published prices. The rest require contacting the operator for a quote. Empty legs without a listed price are often negotiable, especially closer to the departure date.
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