Empty Leg Market Report

Fuel prices doubled. The empty leg market grew anyway. Here is what moved in March.

• 14,700+ new empty legs logged across hundreds of Part 135 operators
• 3,100+ active legs heading into April, with $10,710 average asking price
• Jet-A fuel hit $7.33/gallon by late March, up from ~$6.50 earlier in the month
• Wholesale prices doubled in four weeks ($95 to $197/barrel), driven by the Iran conflict
• More supply, not less: rising fuel makes operators more motivated to sell repositioning flights rather than absorb the cost of flying empty

• Jet-A global average: $197/barrel (week of Mar 20), up from $95.95 four weeks prior
• Charter surcharges: Operators quoting $300/hr higher, 10-15% surcharges on base charter rates became common by mid-March
• Did it shrink the empty leg market? No. Volume held at 3,000-3,500 new legs/week through the entire spike

Watch for surcharges on empty legs. Some operators price empty legs as fixed fares (fuel included). Others apply the same surcharge as retail charter. Ask before you book.

• Fly commercial to a hub, then grab an empty leg. Vegas, Teterboro, Van Nuys, and Fort Lauderdale have dozens of options at any time. Save 50-75% on the private portion.
• Watch the corridors. Vegas to LA, Teterboro to Boston, South Florida to the Bahamas, Calgary to Kelowna. These produce empty legs every week. Set an alert.
• Super midsize is the sweet spot for groups of 6+. The price gap to light jets is smaller than you would expect.

• The Masters (April 6-12): 3,820 private flights into Augusta during the 2025 tournament. Watch for deals on Southeast routes, especially from Florida and the Northeast into Augusta (KAGS) and Columbia, SC.
• Seasonal transition: Winter patterns (Florida, Caribbean, ski) give way to spring. Brief dip in leisure demand = operators competing harder on price.
• Fuel watch: If Iran escalates, Jet-A could push past $8/gal nationally, accelerating empty leg supply. De-escalation would tighten the market.

• Las Vegas to Los Angeles: 119 legs departing Vegas, 90 from Van Nuys. ~20 one-way options available at any given time. The deepest empty leg corridor in the country.
• Teterboro / NYC metro: 100 empty legs in March. A new LaGuardia to Charlottesville corridor appeared (10 legs each way), likely UVA-area travel.
• South Florida: Fort Lauderdale Executive (63), Opa-Locka (48), Palm Beach combined for 140+ active listings. Snowbird season winding down means southbound legs will get cheaper through April.
• Dallas and Carlsbad: Dallas (35 legs) and Carlsbad/Palomar (34 legs) as consistent year-round hubs.
• Canada: Calgary (36) and Toronto (36) both in the top 10. Calgary to Kelowna driven by BC ski/resort repositioning.
• Pacific Northwest: Seattle to Hamilton, Montana (7 legs). Bitterroot Valley spring skiing and fishing traffic.

Heavy jets produce the most empty legs relative to fleet size. Longer routes + higher operating costs = more incentive to sell the repositioning flight. For buyers, heavy jet empty legs offer the steepest discount vs. retail charter.