
Empty Leg Flights United States: 356,458 Private Jet Departures Across 500+ Airports
The United States has more private jet empty legs than any other country. Over a rolling 12-month window, SkyAccess data shows more than 356,000 empty-leg departures from US airports — spanning over 500 distinct departure airports from New Jersey to Southern California. That scale means real options for travelers willing to be flexible: empty legs on SkyAccess typically run 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter.
How many empty leg flights originate in the United States?
SkyAccess data, covering a rolling 12-month window, recorded 356,458 empty-leg departures from US airports. These are whole-aircraft repositioning flights that FAA Part 135 operators post at a discount when the aircraft needs to fly anyway after a paid trip.
The volume is not evenly spread. The northeastern metro cluster — Teterboro Airport (KTEB) in New Jersey and Westchester County Airport (KHPN) in White Plains — accounts for more than 21,000 departures combined, making greater New York by far the busiest empty-leg origin in the country. Florida is the other dominant pole, with Miami-Opa Locka Executive (KOPF), Naples Municipal (KAPF), President Donald J. Trump International (KDJT) in West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE) collectively generating over 25,000 departure-side legs in the same rolling window.
Which US cities generate the most empty leg departures?
Fourteen metro areas each produced more than 3,500 empty-leg departures over the rolling window, based on SkyAccess data published as of September 2026:
- New York (Teterboro, KTEB): 14,501 departures
- Miami (Opa-Locka Executive, KOPF): 10,022 departures
- Los Angeles (Van Nuys, KVNY): 8,951 departures
- Las Vegas (Harry Reid International, KLAS): 7,402 departures
- New York / White Plains (Westchester County, KHPN): 6,571 departures
- Naples, FL (KAPF): 5,839 departures
- West Palm Beach (KDJT): 5,526 departures
- Phoenix / Scottsdale (KSDL): 4,807 departures
- Dallas (Love Field, KDAL): 4,634 departures
- Fort Lauderdale Executive (KFXE): 4,356 departures
- Washington DC area (Dulles, KIAD): 4,261 departures
- Houston (Hobby, KHOU): 3,981 departures
- Austin (KAUS): 3,966 departures
- Boston area (Bedford, KBED): 3,669 departures
These counts reflect a rolling flow — repositioning flights that operators post when aircraft need to move for a next paid booking. They are not a live snapshot of available flights, but a measure of how actively each market generates supply.
What drives the geographic concentration?
Private aviation corridors in the US cluster around three dynamics: wealth concentrations (Manhattan, Palm Beach, Beverly Hills), energy and business hubs (Houston, Dallas, Midland), and leisure destinations that draw concentrated seasonal demand (Las Vegas, Scottsdale). Airports like Teterboro exist specifically to serve high-volume business aviation outside congested commercial terminals — which means the repositioning flights they generate flow outward in all directions.
The Florida corridor is particularly productive because of seasonal migration: operators positioning aircraft south for winter clients and north again in spring generate a steady stream of one-way legs in both directions. The same pattern appears in the mountain West, with Aspen, Jackson Hole, and Sun Valley attracting positioning flights across the Rockies.
What does the US empty leg market mean for travelers?
Over 500 distinct US departure airports appeared in the SkyAccess rolling window — the supply is not confined to a handful of coastal hubs. Secondary airports like Santa Ana / John Wayne (KSNA, 3,451 departures), Nashville (KBNA, 3,322), Boca Raton (KBCT, 3,284), Stuart FL (KSUA, 3,189), and San Antonio (KSAT, 3,153) each generated meaningful leg counts over the same period. SkyAccess carries over 5,000 live empty legs at any given time across its global marketplace — the United States accounts for the large majority of that figure.
For travelers who can match their schedule to a departing leg, the United States represents the deepest, most geographically diverse empty-leg market in the world by departure volume. Pricing on these legs typically falls 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter for the same route and aircraft type. Explore available US departures at SkyAccess empty leg flights, or browse specific hubs such as Teterboro Airport (KTEB) and Miami Opa-Locka Executive (KOPF).
Frequently asked questions
How many empty leg flights originate in the United States?
SkyAccess data shows 356,458 empty-leg departures from US airports over a rolling 12-month window. These departures span more than 500 distinct US origin airports, with the heaviest concentration in the greater New York area, South Florida, and Southern California.
Which US cities have the most empty leg departures?
By departure count in the SkyAccess rolling 12-month window, the top US markets are New York (Teterboro, 14,501 departures), Miami (Opa-Locka Executive, 10,022), Los Angeles (Van Nuys, 8,951), Las Vegas (7,402), and White Plains / New York (Westchester County, 6,571).
How much can you save on United States empty leg flights?
Empty legs on the SkyAccess marketplace typically run 25 to 75% below a comparable full charter for the same route and aircraft type. The exact discount depends on the route, aircraft category, and how closely your travel dates match the operator’s posted departure.
This data is citable with attribution to SkyAccess. For same-day custom pulls, contact press@theskyaccess.com.
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