Inside Scottsdale: 3,796 Empty Legs Leaving Arizona for 375 Destinations

Updated September 29, 2026: counts now exclude exact duplicate copies and deleted, withdrawn or cancelled listings, and the rolling 12-month window now ends September 28, 2026. The figures below reflect that correction.

Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) generated 3,796 cross-region empty leg departures to 375 distinct destinations in the 12 months to September 28, 2026. That makes Scottsdale one of the highest-volume outbound empty leg hubs in the American Southwest, a fact that shapes pricing, timing, and availability for private flyers across the region.

What the data shows

SkyAccess tracks every empty leg listed through its marketplace, the world’s largest empty leg marketplace by listing volume, with 5,000+ live empty leg flights from 900+ FAA Part 135 (and international equivalent) certified charter operators. Among all US departure airports, Scottsdale Airport ranks near the top for outbound empty leg volume; among airports in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, only Harry Reid International in Las Vegas (KLAS) had more outbound empty legs. Browse the live Scottsdale Airport empty leg listings to see current availability. The 3,796 departures in this analysis count only legs that leave the state of Arizona: trips bound for California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Utah, and beyond. They do not include intra-state positioning legs, so the number reflects the repositioning supply that connects Scottsdale with the broader national network.

Across those 3,796 departures, operators reached 375 separate destination airports. That geographic breadth reflects the diversity of Scottsdale’s charter demand: the city draws corporate travelers, resort guests, golf visitors, and event-goers whose return flights generate repositioning legs in all directions.

Top destination cities for Scottsdale empty legs

The busiest outbound corridor from Scottsdale runs to Las Vegas: the Scottsdale to Las Vegas corridor absorbed the largest share of cross-region legs, 455 departures across the city’s two busiest private aviation airports, Harry Reid International (KLAS) and Henderson Executive (KHND). With legs in all 12 months of the window, that level of traffic makes the Scottsdale-to-Las-Vegas route the best supplied empty leg corridor out of Scottsdale.

Los Angeles follows as the second busiest destination, drawing 337 departures via the Scottsdale to Los Angeles route across Van Nuys (KVNY), Hollywood Burbank (KBUR) and Los Angeles International (KLAX). The Los Angeles basin’s multiple private aviation airports, with Van Nuys receiving the largest share at 211 legs, give operators flexibility in how they deliver their aircraft. Orange County added a further 164 legs at John Wayne Airport (KSNA), and in San Diego County, McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad (KCRQ) drew 94 departures and San Diego International (KSAN) 87, making California, with 1,264 legs across 54 airports, by far the dominant destination state from Scottsdale.

Beyond Southern California and Nevada, the flow diversifies considerably. Salt Lake City International (KSLC) drew 95 departures, establishing a well-supplied Utah corridor. In Denver, Centennial Airport (KAPA) received 90 legs and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan (KBJC) another 30, connecting Arizona’s desert metro to Colorado’s mountain-gateway airports. Aspen (KASE) captured 89, just over half of them (45) in the December to March ski season, reflecting seasonal demand from Scottsdale’s resort-and-ski traveler profile. Airports in the 12 Midwest states drew 270 legs in all, led by Omaha (KOMA) with 37, demonstrating that Scottsdale’s repositioning reach extends well into the Midwest.

Why Scottsdale generates this volume

Scottsdale’s empty leg output reflects how charter aircraft actually move. When a client charters a jet from, say, Los Angeles to Scottsdale for a golf trip, the operator needs to reposition that aircraft before its next booking. If no inbound charter is waiting, the leg back to California becomes an empty leg, available to any buyer at 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter.

Scottsdale sees this dynamic play out at scale because the city is a high-frequency inbound market: golf tournaments, spring training, resort weekends, and corporate retreats pull aircraft in from across the country all year. Each inbound client trip creates a potential outbound empty leg, and with 375 destination airports in 17 countries in the data, Scottsdale operators clearly reposition across the United States and well beyond it.

Reading the flow: seasonality and corridor balance

The 12-month window captures the full annual pattern. Scottsdale’s hospitality season peaks in the cooler months, roughly October through May, when the region hosts PGA Tour events and peak resort occupancy. Outbound empty legs follow that pulse: they averaged 388 a month from October through May against 182 a month from June to August, every month from October through May topped every summer month, and March was the busiest at 512. Summer months see lower overall volume but sustained departures to Nevada and California, at least 53 a month from June to August.

The directional balance also matters. In the same 12 months, 4,379 cross-region empty legs arrived at Scottsdale from 443 airports outside Arizona, more than the 3,796 that departed, which means buyers searching for flights to Scottsdale had somewhat more options than those looking to depart from it.

How empty leg pricing works from Scottsdale

On a Scottsdale-to-Los-Angeles leg, as on any empty leg, the operator needs to move the aircraft regardless of whether a passenger pays, which is why the leg is offered below the price of a standard charter. Across routes and aircraft types, empty legs typically price 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter.

Buyers who set up alerts for Scottsdale outbound legs can capture this value efficiently. The SkyAccess marketplace allows filtering by origin, destination, and date window, so a buyer targeting, say, a Scottsdale-to-Las-Vegas leg can monitor available inventory and book when pricing aligns with their schedule. With 455 legs on that corridor in the 12 months to September 28, 2026, options are frequent.

Frequently asked questions

Which destinations get the most Scottsdale empty legs?

In the 12 months to September 28, 2026, Las Vegas led with 455 departures across its two busiest private aviation airports, Harry Reid International (KLAS) and Henderson Executive (KHND), followed by Los Angeles with 337 across Van Nuys (211 legs), Hollywood Burbank and Los Angeles International. Counting Las Vegas and Los Angeles as one destination each and every other destination by airport, the next busiest were John Wayne Airport in Orange County (164 legs), Salt Lake City International (95 legs), McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad (94 legs), Centennial Airport in Denver (90 legs), Aspen (89 legs), and San Diego International (87 legs). Together these eight destinations account for 1,411 of the 3,796 cross-region departures from Scottsdale, or 37.2%.

How many empty leg flights depart from Scottsdale?

SkyAccess data shows 3,796 cross-region empty leg departures from Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) in the 12 months to September 28, 2026. These legs reach 375 distinct destination airports in 17 countries, led by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and reflect the repositioning flights generated after inbound charter trips to Scottsdale for golf, resort, and corporate travel. The count excludes intra-Arizona positioning legs.

How much can you save on Scottsdale empty leg flights?

Scottsdale empty leg flights are typically priced 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter on the same route. That range reflects the need of the operator to reposition the aircraft rather than fly it empty with no revenue. Actual savings depend on the specific route, aircraft type, and timing of the available leg.

This data is citable with attribution to SkyAccess. For same-day custom pulls, contact contact@skyaccess.com.