Scottsdale to Los Angeles Empty Leg Flights: 464 Private Jet Repositioning Legs

When Scottsdale’s winter season collides with Los Angeles’s year-round demand for private aviation, the result is one of the most active repositioning corridors in the American Southwest. Over a rolling 12-month window of listings, SkyAccess recorded 464 empty-leg flights between Scottsdale and Los Angeles — making this route a reliable source of discounted private jet access for both directions of travel.

Why the Scottsdale–Los Angeles corridor generates so many empty legs

Empty legs arise when a private jet completes a paid charter and must reposition to its next assignment without a paying passenger. On the Scottsdale–Los Angeles corridor, the geometry is straightforward: the two cities sit roughly 370 nautical miles apart, both served by busy general aviation airports — Scottsdale Airport (KSDL) and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) — that feed demand from high-net-worth travelers, corporate groups, and the entertainment and sports industries. When a jet delivers a client to one city, it often needs to return empty to the other, or reposition onward.

With 464 cross-region repositioning legs recorded over the rolling 12-month window, the corridor averages roughly 38 empty-leg listings per month when active. Flight is active in every calendar month in the dataset, but volume is far from uniform.

A corridor with a clear seasonal rhythm

The monthly data tells a vivid story:

• January through April is peak season, driven by Scottsdale’s winter golf, spring training, and the influx of California residents escaping winter. March alone recorded 85 legs — the single busiest month, coinciding with the height of spring-training baseball and the Waste Management Phoenix Open afterparty season.
• May and November–December sustain moderate volume (43–68 legs), as Scottsdale’s shoulder seasons still draw affluent visitors.
• June through September sees a sharp pullback, bottoming out at just 12 legs in August and 3 in September. Arizona’s extreme summer heat drives the charter market down sharply, with fewer paid charters generating fewer empty repositioning legs.
• October rebounds to 46 legs as temperatures moderate and the Scottsdale season resumes.

This seasonality is actionable: travelers flexible about travel dates who target the January–April window will find the largest inventory of empty legs on this corridor. The summer trough (June–September) is real — expect significantly fewer options.

Directional balance and what it means for buyers

The 464 legs are split roughly evenly between the two directions. Neither Scottsdale-originating nor Los Angeles-originating legs dominate. This near-parity reflects the corridor’s bidirectional demand: Los Angeles residents charter jets to Scottsdale for golf, wellness retreats, and events, while Scottsdale-based operators regularly run charters west for entertainment industry clients and corporate meetings. The result is consistent repositioning in both directions throughout the active season, giving buyers on either end of the route a realistic shot at an empty-leg deal.

What to expect on this route

Empty-leg flights on this corridor are listed by FAA Part 135-certified operators — SkyAccess hosts 900+ such operators across its marketplace. Aircraft types covering this 370-nautical-mile hop typically include light jets (Citation CJ series, Phenom 300) and midsize jets (Hawker, Citation XLS), with super-midsize and large-cabin aircraft appearing during high-demand periods. SkyAccess currently carries 5,000+ live empty-leg listings across all routes, with the Scottsdale–Los Angeles corridor refreshed regularly throughout its active season.

Pricing on empty legs reflects the repositioning dynamic: because the operator has already covered base costs on the paid leg, the discounted rate can fall 25 to 75 percent below a comparable full charter quote for the same route. Savings vary by timing, aircraft type, and how close to departure the listing appears.

Frequently asked questions

How many empty leg flights fly between Scottsdale and Los Angeles?

SkyAccess has recorded 464 empty-leg flights between Scottsdale and Los Angeles over a rolling 12-month window of listings. The corridor is active in every calendar month, peaking in March at 85 legs and dropping to a summer low in August and September due to reduced charter demand during Scottsdale’s hot season.

When is the best time to find Scottsdale to Los Angeles empty leg flights?

January through April offers the largest inventory, with March the single busiest month (85 legs recorded). This aligns with Scottsdale’s peak season for golf tourism, spring training, and events. June through September sees significantly fewer listings as summer heat reduces overall charter activity on the corridor.

How much can you save on Scottsdale to Los Angeles empty leg flights?

Empty-leg flights on this corridor are typically priced 25 to 75 percent below a comparable full charter quote for the same route. The exact saving depends on the aircraft type, how close to departure the listing appears, and the operator’s specific pricing for that repositioning leg.

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