Empty leg flights from Long Island

Long Island MacArthur Airport at Islip (KISP) serves a market that sits between two well-known private aviation zones (the NYC metro airports to the west and the Hamptons to the east) and is distinct from both. KISP is in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County, about 60 miles east of Manhattan. The surrounding area includes Stony Brook University Medical Center, one of the largest hospitals on the island, defense and aerospace contractors concentrated around Bethpage and Hauppauge, and a dense suburban professional population that generates regular short-haul corporate travel.

The private aviation case for KISP is primarily convenience. JFK, LaGuardia, and Teterboro all sit 60 to 70 miles west of Ronkonkoma by road. For Suffolk County residents or businesses, getting to those airports often takes longer than the flights themselves. KISP eliminates the westbound highway transfer entirely: park at the GA ramp, board within minutes. Operators who fly clients from KISP to Florida, Boston, or Chicago need to return the aircraft, and those return legs appear at below-charter rates.

The airport also captures overflow from the Hamptons. When Teterboro clogs during summer weekends or East Hampton (KHTO) fills its ramp during peak season, some operators route through KISP as a practical alternative with better ramp availability and comparable ground times to eastern Long Island destinations.

Long Island MacArthur Airport (KISP) has four runways, with the longest at 7,006 feet -- sufficient for light jets through midsize aircraft, with larger jets less common here than at KTEB or KFRG. Modern Aviation operates the primary FBO at KISP, with full fuel, overnight, and ramp services. The airport runs 24 hours, with CBP available from 8 AM to 11 PM for international arrivals.

The passenger terminal is compact and commercial service is thin (American and Avelo serve the airport on limited schedules), so the general aviation ramp operates largely independently from commercial flows. Ground transfer to Stony Brook Medical is about 10 minutes; to the Hauppauge industrial park, about 15 minutes. For Hamptons-bound passengers, the Sunrise Highway east to Southampton or East Hampton runs an additional 45 to 60 minutes depending on season.

Empty legs departing from Long Island currently range from $1,577 to $24,950. The average listed price sits around $11,424. Broken down by aircraft: midsize jets averaging $15,438, heavy jets averaging $12,676, super-midsize jets averaging $4,438.

Popular routes with current pricing: Burlington, VT at $1,577; Baltimore, MD at $2,223; Cleveland, OH at $3,005. Route availability rotates as operators reposition aircraft, so today's routes may differ from next week's.

We track 158 active legs from this area. 11 have published prices; the rest are quote-on-request. Operators often add pricing closer to the departure date, so checking back frequently or setting an alert catches deals as they appear.