Quick answer
Transatlantic empty leg flights exist, but they are rare. Only heavy and ultra-long-range jets make the crossing, and operators work hard to avoid flying them empty. When one does list, the saving is large: our house figures put a London to New York crossing at roughly £18,000–£45,000 when it comes up among the empty legs on the market, against £60,000–£95,000 one way chartered outright. Treat it as a bonus you watch for, not a plan; the live figure is confirmed on enquiry.
Key takeaways
- Transatlantic empty legs are a small slice of the market; most legs on any day are short-haul.
- Only heavy and ultra-long-range jets cross comfortably, so the pool of possible legs is small.
- When one appears, the absolute saving is the largest in private aviation, but only a group gets real value.
- Watch both directions, widen airports and dates, and always have a fallback.
- Don't rely on one for a fixed date; book a charter or airline seat and treat a leg as a bonus.
Transatlantic empty leg flights are the most talked-about and least available part of the empty-leg market. Everyone has heard of someone who crossed the Atlantic in a Gulfstream for a fraction of the charter price. Far fewer people have actually found one on the dates they needed. This guide is honest about both halves of that story: why these legs are rare, why they are worth watching for anyway, and how to give yourself a realistic chance of catching one between Europe and the USA.
If you want to know what a crossing costs when chartered outright, that is covered in our guide to transatlantic private jet cost. This page is about the empty legs specifically. If you are new to the idea, start with what is an empty leg flight.
How often do transatlantic empty leg flights appear?
Rarely, compared with short-haul legs. Most empty legs are hops within the US, within Europe, or from London to the Mediterranean, and ocean crossings are far less frequent simply because far fewer aircraft make the crossing. In a one-day snapshot of our own live feed in October, 149 of the 174 legs we could read started in the US, and the biggest clusters were Texas airports such as Houston and Dallas, as our guide to empty leg flights USA explains.
That doesn't mean they never appear. They do, and when one matches your dates it can be the single largest saving in private aviation. But a traveller who plans a trip around "we'll catch a transatlantic empty leg" will usually be disappointed. The honest framing is that a transatlantic leg is a bonus you watch for, not a plan you rely on. Our event pages put it in four words for long-haul legs into London: rare as empty legs, prized when they list.
Why are they so rare?
The reasons are structural, and understanding them helps you judge when a leg is most likely to appear.
Fewer aircraft can make the crossing
Farnborough to Teterboro is about 2,990 nautical miles on the great circle, worked out from the two airports' coordinates. That rules out light and midsize jets entirely. Super-midsize aircraft can make it on paper, but with little margin, and heavy and ultra-long-range jets do most of the work. So the pool of aircraft that could ever produce a transatlantic empty leg is a fraction of the total fleet.
Operators avoid flying them empty
An empty crossing on a large-cabin jet is one of the most expensive repositioning flights an operator can make: around seven hours of fuel, crew time and fees with no revenue. Operators work hard to avoid it. They pair a client's outbound trip with another booking going the other way, keep the aircraft and crew on the far side for a return trip, or quote the client a round trip that covers the cost. Each of those choices removes a potential empty leg before it is ever listed.
Many crossings aren't charter flights at all
Many of the business jets that cross the Atlantic are flown for their owners rather than sold as charter. Those repositioning flights never reach the charter market, so they never become empty legs you can book.
Timing is long and specific
When a transatlantic leg does exist, it is tied to a particular client's dates in a particular direction. If you need London to New York and the leg is New York to London, or it leaves on Tuesday and you need Friday, it is no use to you. With so few legs, the chance that one matches both your direction and your dates is low.
Which aircraft fly transatlantic empty legs?
Range decides it. Here is how the classes we use across the site compare with a London to New York crossing of roughly 2,990 nm:
Typical ranges are the planning figures we use across the site; real range depends on passengers, bags, winds and reserves. Distance is the great-circle figure for Farnborough to Teterboro.
Manufacturers' brochure figures show why the super-midsize class is marginal. Bombardier quotes the Challenger 3500 at a maximum range of 3,400 nm, a theoretical figure with four passengers and standard reserves. That is enough on a calm day, but the westbound crossing usually faces headwinds, so an operator may plan a fuel stop or swap to a larger aircraft. At the other end, the Global 7500 is quoted at 7,700 nm with up to 19 passengers, so the crossing is routine.
The upshot for a buyer: a transatlantic empty leg will almost always be a heavy or ultra-long-range jet, the cabins you'd rarely charter for yourself. That is part of the appeal. For what those classes cost by the hour, see the heavy jet charter cost guide.
What does a transatlantic empty leg cost?
Large aircraft and long flights mean large numbers, but also the deepest absolute discounts on the market. Our house figures for London to New York put a full charter on a heavy or ultra-long-range jet at roughly £60,000–£95,000 one way, including positioning, against roughly £18,000–£45,000 when the same crossing comes up as an empty leg, in line with the general rule that empty legs run up to 75% below the full charter. London to Miami, a longer crossing of nine to ten hours, sits higher on both. Our pages on private jet hire New York and private jet hire Miami cover the airports at the US end.
Indicative one-way prices for the whole aircraft, including positioning, before Air Passenger Duty. The live figure is confirmed on enquiry.
Split across ten people, a £30,000 leg works out at about £3,000 a head for a private, nonstop crossing on a large-cabin jet. That is the per-person maths that makes these legs so sought after. It works only for a group: one or two people paying £25,000 or more are paying for the experience, not making a saving against a premium airline seat. The full cost of a crossing chartered outright is broken down on our transatlantic cost guide, linked above.
Worked example: a westbound leg for a group of ten
Here is how the sums look for a real-world kind of trip: ten people flying Farnborough to Teterboro one way, with a week either side of their preferred date. All prices are indicative and for the whole aircraft, and the live figure is confirmed on enquiry.
Charter and empty-leg ranges: our house one-way figures, including positioning. APD at the current higher rate of £1,097 per passenger, which applies to aircraft of 20 tonnes or more equipped to carry fewer than 19 passengers (GOV.UK). Indicative; the live figure is confirmed on enquiry.
The lesson is in the APD column. Air Passenger Duty is charged per passenger on a departure from the UK whether the flight is a charter or an empty leg, so on a heavy jet that pays the higher rate it doesn't shrink with the discount. On a leg at the bottom of the range, the duty for ten people is more than half the price of the aircraft itself. An eastbound leg from New York to London doesn't carry UK APD, because the duty applies to departures from the UK, which is one more reason to watch the homeward direction.
The other lesson is the range of outcomes. A leg near the top of the empty-leg range is still a very good deal for a group; one near the bottom is exceptional and goes within hours. Plan around the middle of the range, and treat anything better as luck.
Set a route alert on the crossing you want, in both directions. We'll tell you the moment a leg lists.
Set up a route alert →When are you most likely to see one?
Because transatlantic legs are created by one-way bookings, they follow the same patterns as the clients who make those bookings. These are the moments worth watching:
- After the big European summer events. US owners and guests fly into London for the season's fixtures, such as Wimbledon and Royal Ascot (see our page on flying a private jet to Wimbledon), on heavy and ultra-long-range jets. Some of those aircraft go home empty while their passengers stay on or travel elsewhere in Europe.
- Around the Florida season. Miami's private traffic is fed from Europe as well as the Northeast, and December's Art Basel week pulls in collectors from both sides of the Atlantic. Aircraft that brought Europeans over may need to go back.
- When a client flies one way and stays. Relocations, long stays and onward trips leave aircraft on the wrong side of the ocean. These are unpredictable, which is why a standing alert matters.
- When an aircraft changes base. Operators sometimes move an aircraft from one continent to another to meet seasonal demand, and may offer the move as an empty leg.
None of these produce a guaranteed leg on a known date. They raise the odds, which is the most anyone can honestly promise.
Empty leg London to New York: what to expect
London to New York is the corridor most people mean when they ask about transatlantic legs, and the busiest private crossing between Europe and the USA. Here is what one looks like in practice.
- Airports. On the London side, heavy jets use the business-aviation fields such as Farnborough, Luton or Biggin Hill. On the New York side, Teterboro is the main private gateway, about 12 miles from Midtown, with Westchester as an alternative. Our London and New York destination guides cover both ends. The Teterboro private jet guide compares the New York options in detail.
- Flight time. Our event pages use roughly seven to seven and a half hours for New York to London on an ultra-long-range jet. Westbound usually takes longer because of headwinds.
- Paperwork. The operator handles the formalities, including the UK's General Aviation Report, which is required for international flights to or from the UK, and the US arrival requirements. Passengers need the same passports and entry permissions they would need on an airline.
- What's included. As with any empty leg, the price normally covers aircraft, crew, fuel and standard handling. On a seven-hour flight, check what catering is included and whether there are any taxes or fees at the arrival end.
How to give yourself a real chance
With so few legs, the method matters more than usual.
- Watch both directions. If you are flying out and back, set alerts for both legs. You may catch one direction as an empty leg and book the other conventionally.
- Widen the airports. On the European side, accept any London field and consider Paris or Geneva if you can get there easily. On the US side, accept Teterboro, Westchester and, if it suits, Miami's Opa-Locka. Each extra airport adds legs that can match.
- Widen the dates. A window of a week or more is realistic for a crossing; a single fixed day almost never matches.
- Travel as a group. The value only appears when the cost is split across a full cabin of eight to twelve people.
- Have a fallback. Know what a dedicated one-way charter or a premium airline seat would cost, so a missed leg is an inconvenience, not a crisis. Our guide on how to find empty legs covers alerts in detail.
How to read a transatlantic listing
When a crossing does appear, you will usually have hours rather than days to decide. Five checks make that decision quicker and safer.
- The aircraft type. Confirm it is a heavy or ultra-long-range jet, and ask whether the operator plans a fuel stop. A stop adds time and sometimes an overnight.
- The exact airports. "London" or "New York" in a headline can mean several fields. Check both ends against where you actually need to be, and what the ground transfer will cost.
- The local times. Departure and arrival are shown in local time at each end, so a short-looking gap on paper can hide a long flight.
- What the price includes. Ask for the all-in figure: aircraft, crew, fuel, handling, catering and any taxes or fees at the arrival end.
- The cancellation terms. Know what happens if the original booking moves, and have your fallback priced before you pay.
None of this is specific to empty legs, but on a seven-hour ocean crossing the cost of a surprise is much higher than on a short hop.
Need to cross on fixed dates? Check a live price for a charter, and watch for a leg alongside it.
Check a price →When it's not worth waiting for one
If your dates are fixed, don't wait. The chance of a matching leg appearing is low, and even when one does, it can be cancelled or rescheduled if the original booking changes. Being stranded on the wrong side of an ocean is a much bigger problem than missing a short hop to Nice. Book a charter or an airline seat for anything that must happen on a set day, and treat any leg you catch as a bonus.
The same applies to solo travellers and couples. Unless the experience itself is the point, a leg at £25,000 or more won't beat a business or first-class fare on cost. For a fair comparison of the options, see one-way charter vs empty leg.
Frequently asked questions
Do transatlantic empty legs really exist?
Yes, but they are rare compared with short-haul legs. Most empty legs on the market on any day are domestic or regional, and ocean crossings are a small fraction of the total.
How much is an empty leg from London to New York?
Our house figures put it at roughly £18,000–£45,000 for the whole aircraft, against roughly £60,000–£95,000 one way for the same crossing chartered outright. The live figure is confirmed on enquiry.
What kind of aircraft flies a transatlantic empty leg?
Almost always a heavy or ultra-long-range jet, such as a Gulfstream or a Global. Light and midsize jets can't make the crossing, and super-midsize jets have little margin.
Are empty leg flights from Europe to the USA more common than the other way?
There is no reliable public figure for that. Direction depends on where clients have flown one way, which shifts with the season and the event calendar, so watch both directions.
How far ahead do transatlantic empty legs appear?
Like other legs, most empty legs surface a few days to a few weeks before departure, many only 24–72 hours ahead, and on busy routes they can sell within hours. A standing alert is more useful than searching months ahead.
Is a transatlantic empty leg worth it for two people?
Rarely on cost alone. At £25,000 or more for the aircraft, the per-person figure only beats a premium airline seat when it is split across a larger group.
What happens if my transatlantic empty leg is cancelled?
You are usually refunded or offered an alternative, but you still need a way to travel. That is why legs suit flexible trips, and why you should know your fallback before you book.
Can I bring luggage on a transatlantic empty leg?
Yes. Heavy and ultra-long-range jets have large baggage holds, but confirm your bag count when you enquire, especially with a full cabin.
Do I pay Air Passenger Duty on a transatlantic empty leg?
On a departure from the UK, yes. APD is charged per passenger on private flights as well as airline ones, and New York and Miami are in band B, where the higher rate for aircraft of 20 tonnes or more with fewer than 19 seats is currently £1,097 per passenger. Ask for it on its own line.
Is it better to catch a leg out or a leg back?
Whichever direction your dates are more flexible in. Most travellers fix the outbound and keep the return open, then watch for a leg home while they are away, which is the setup most likely to work.
