Repositioning flights
Empty legs: flying the sector that was flying anyway
Route, date, aircraft, conditions and price are confirmed through a specific quote.
An empty leg is a flight a private aircraft has to make empty. It happens constantly: a jet takes someone from Toluca to Los Cabos on Friday and has to be back on Saturday for its next contract. That return is happening with or without passengers. If the operator chooses to sell it, it does so under specific conditions.
It does not guarantee savings or availability. Compare the specific quote and its terms with a charter requested for your own itinerary.
Why empty legs exist
A private aircraft does not stay where you leave it. It has a base, a maintenance schedule and contracts starting at airports other than where the last one ended. Every time those points fail to line up, the aeroplane has to be moved empty.
Return to base
The aircraft drops the client off and flies back empty to where it is hangared.
Positioning
It flies empty to the airport where it picks up the next client.
Maintenance
Trips to the approved shop, which is rarely in the same city.
Where they come up most in Mexico
Empty legs follow the map of where aircraft are based and where people fly. In Mexico that draws a fairly stable pattern:
| Corridor | Why it generates empty sectors |
|---|---|
| Toluca and Mexico City ↔ Los Cabos | Heavy leisure traffic one way and empty returns the other, particularly in high season. |
| Toluca and Mexico City ↔ Cancún | The busiest corridor in the country; the returns bunch up at weekends. |
| Monterrey ↔ Mexico City | Midweek corporate traffic with very set departure and return times. |
| Guadalajara ↔ Puerto Vallarta | Short sectors where repositioning movements may occur. |
| Mexico ↔ Miami and Houston | US-based aircraft returning empty after dropping passengers in Mexico. |
These are the corridors where sectors statistically come up most, not a list of availability. Real availability changes daily and is only known a few days ahead.
What nobody tells you before you book
- They can be cancelled. An empty leg depends on the booked flight that generates it. If that flight changes, yours disappears. No serious operator will guarantee it outright.
- You do not choose the day. The date is set by the aircraft's movement. There is some margin on the hour, almost none on the day.
- You do not choose the aircraft. You fly whatever had to be repositioned, which may be bigger or smaller than you need.
- The route is the route. It cannot be diverted for a stop, and the destination airport cannot be changed.
- They appear at short notice. One to seven days is normal. If you need to lock a trip in a month ahead, this is not the way.
Is an empty leg worth it for you?
Yes, if
- Your dates are flexible and you can decide within days.
- You can compare the specific quote with a normal charter.
- You are travelling for pleasure and nothing breaks if the flight falls through.
- You want to try it before booking a full charter.
No, if
- You have a meeting, a wedding or a connection that cannot fail.
- You need to settle the trip weeks in advance.
- You are travelling with a large group that needs a particular aircraft.
- The route you need does not match any repositioning.
If your trip has no room for surprises, a normal charter flightlets you request the exact route and timing you need. You can see how that price is built onour pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
What is an empty leg?
It is a repositioning sector an aircraft must fly without passengers to return to base or position for the next mission. If the operator allows it to be sold, it is quoted individually.
What does an empty leg cost?
There is no fixed price or discount. The operator confirms route, date, time, aircraft, conditions and price for each sector; VolarJets communicates it only through a specific quote.
Can empty legs be cancelled?
Yes, and that is their main drawback. An empty leg exists because there is a booked flight before or after it. If that flight moves date, changes route or is cancelled, the empty leg goes with it. Which is why they are no good for a trip that cannot change.
Can I choose the time of an empty leg?
Barely. The date, the time and the route are set by the movement the aircraft has to make. There is usually some margin on the departure time, but you cannot change the day or divert the route.
How far ahead do they appear?
Most surface between one and seven days before the flight, because until the original contract closes nobody knows what repositioning will be needed. Some appear with only hours to spare.
Is an empty leg the same as a shared flight?
No. On an empty leg you request the whole sector the operator allows to be sold. A shared flight includes passengers from separate bookings and is a different arrangement with different conditions and regulation.
Tell us which route interests you
Empty legs are not published in any list worth reading, because they change daily. What works is the other way round: you tell us your route and how flexible your dates are, and we let you know when a sector fits and request a quote from the operator. We do not advertise fixed discounts.
Request a quote