How Empty Legs Work in Private Aviation

Flying on a private jet at a fraction of the usual price? It's not a myth — it's an empty leg. In this guide, we explain everything about this little-known opportunity in private aviation: what they are, how they work, how much you can save, and how to take advantage of them from Toluca Airport.

What Is an Empty Leg?

An empty leg (also called a "deadhead flight," "repositioning flight," or "ferry flight") occurs when a private jet needs to reposition without passengers. This happens in two main scenarios:

After dropping off passengers. A jet flies its clients from Toluca to Cancún. The aircraft needs to return to its base in Toluca, but the return flight has no passengers. That empty Cancún → Toluca flight is an empty leg.

Before picking up passengers. A client books a flight from Monterrey to Houston. The aircraft is based in Toluca, so it needs to fly empty from Toluca to Monterrey to position itself. That Toluca → Monterrey flight is an empty leg.

In both cases, the aircraft is going to fly regardless — with or without passengers. The operator prefers to sell that leg at a reduced price to recover some fuel, crew, and handling costs, rather than absorb the full cost of an empty flight.

How Much Can You Save?

Empty leg discounts range from 25% to 75% compared to standard charter rates. The size of the discount depends on several factors:

• Proximity to departure date: The closer to the flight, the larger the discount tends to be
• Route popularity: High-demand routes tend to have smaller discounts
• Aircraft type: Larger jets offer more significant discounts in absolute terms
• Operator flexibility: Some operators prefer aggressive discounts over flying empty

Real example: A standard Hawker 800A charter from Toluca to Cancún might cost around $15,000-$20,000 USD. An empty leg on the same route and aircraft could be available for $6,000-$8,000 USD — savings of up to 60%.

Why Do So Many Empty Legs Exist?

The scale of the phenomenon is impressive: it's estimated that nearly 40% of all private jets are flying empty at any given moment due to repositioning needs. Globally, there are approximately 3,000 empty legs available at any time.

This is due to the very nature of charter aviation: most flights are one-way, which automatically generates an empty return leg. Every time a client books a one-way flight, an empty leg is created somewhere in the network.

How to Book an Empty Leg

The process requires some flexibility but is well worth it:

1. Monitor availability. At Numen Aviation, we publish our available empty legs on our Empty Legs page (numen-aviation.com/empty-legs). You can also contact us directly so we can alert you when an empty leg comes up on your route of interest.

2. Act fast. Empty legs are time-sensitive deals. They typically appear 24 to 72 hours before departure, and the best deals go quickly.

3. Be flexible. Routes, schedules, and even aircraft type are generally non-negotiable on an empty leg. The key is adapting your trip to the available offer, not the other way around.

4. Confirm the terms. Before booking, confirm the cancellation policy. Since the empty leg depends on the primary charter flight, if that flight changes or cancels, the empty leg may disappear with little notice.

What You Should Know Before Booking

The experience is identical. Although the price is reduced, the onboard experience is exactly the same as a regular charter: same aircraft, same crew, same safety standards, same services. You just pay less.

Routes are fixed. Unlike a regular charter where you choose origin and destination, empty leg departure and arrival cities are predetermined by the aircraft's repositioning needs.

Schedules may change. If the primary charter flight (the one generating the empty leg) changes its schedule, your empty leg will change too. In extreme cases, if the primary charter is canceled, the empty leg disappears.

Availability isn't guaranteed. Empty legs depend on charter demand. During peak season (December, Easter), more empty legs are available because more charters are operating. In low season, availability decreases.

Frequent Empty Legs from Toluca (MMTO)

Given the volume of private aviation operations from Toluca, these are some routes where empty legs most frequently appear:

Popular domestic routes:

• Toluca ↔ Cancún
• Toluca ↔ Los Cabos
• Toluca ↔ Monterrey
• Toluca ↔ Puerto Vallarta
• Toluca ↔ Guadalajara

Frequent international routes:

• Toluca ↔ Houston
• Toluca ↔ Miami
• Toluca ↔ Las Vegas
• Toluca ↔ Los Angeles
• Toluca ↔ San Antonio

Tips to Maximize Your Opportunities

Sign up for alerts. Contact Numen Aviation and ask us to add you to our empty leg alert list. When an opportunity arises on your route, you'll be among the first to know.

Be date-flexible. If you can adjust your trip by a day or two in either direction, your chances of finding an empty leg increase significantly.

Consider alternative routes. If your final destination is the Riviera Maya, an empty leg to Mérida could be a viable alternative with a reasonable ground transfer.

Travel as a group. The empty leg cost is per aircraft, not per passenger. The more people traveling, the lower the per-capita cost. An empty leg on a Hawker 800A for 6 passengers can end up cheaper per person than a commercial first-class ticket.

Empty Legs with Numen Aviation

At Numen Aviation, we constantly update our empty leg availability from our hub at Toluca Airport (MMTO). Our process is simple:

1. Check availability at numen-aviation.com/empty-legs or contact us directly
2. Receive an instant quote with all flight details
3. Confirm your booking and receive all your flight information
4. Show up at the FBO in Toluca and enjoy the private aviation experience

Want to receive empty leg alerts?
Contact us at +52 444 234 8942 or message us on WhatsApp. We'll let you know when there's a deal on your route.

---

Numen Aviation — Beyond First Class. Private jet charter from Toluca Airport (MMTO), serving Mexico, the United States, the Caribbean, and Central America.