Empty Leg Flights in Europe: London, Paris, Geneva & Mediterranean

Europe: A Dense Network of Empty Leg Opportunities

Europe is uniquely suited to empty leg travel. The continent's geography — short distances between major cities, a high density of private aviation airports, and strong seasonal migration patterns — creates a constant churn of repositioning flights. The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) reports that roughly 40% of all private jet flights in Europe operate empty, representing an enormous pool of potential savings for flexible travelers.

Unlike the US, where a handful of corridors dominate, Europe's empty leg market is distributed across dozens of country pairs. London, Paris, Geneva, Nice, Zurich, and Milan serve as the primary hubs, but secondary airports across the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe produce deals throughout the year. This guide covers the key corridors, seasonal rhythms, and booking strategies for European empty legs available through VOLO's platform.

Top European Empty Leg Routes & Corridors

The following corridors generate the highest volume of empty leg flights across Europe:

• London (LTN/FAB/BQH) → Nice (NCE) — The quintessential European empty leg route. The Riviera attracts a constant flow of one-way charters from the UK, and return legs back to London are frequently discounted. Light jets on this route appear at €5,000–€9,000 versus €14,000–€20,000 for a standard charter.
• Paris (LBG) → Geneva (GVA) — One of the busiest business aviation corridors in continental Europe. Finance professionals shuttle between the two cities weekly, producing midweek empty legs in both directions. A typical light jet empty leg runs €3,500–€6,000.
• London → Ibiza (IBZ) — A summer phenomenon. Weekend charters fly to Ibiza full and reposition back empty on Sunday nights and Monday mornings. Some of the deepest discounts in European private aviation appear on this route from June through September.
• Zurich (ZRH) → Mykonos (JMK) / Santorini (JTR) — Swiss and German travelers create strong summer demand for Greek island charters. Return legs to Central Europe are a reliable source of empty leg deals.
• Geneva → Chambéry (CMF) / Sion (SIR) — Ski season corridors serving Courchevel, Verbier, and Zermatt. Short hops of 20–30 minutes produce very affordable repositioning flights from December through March.
• London / Paris / Frankfurt / Zurich intercity — The European business triangle generates constant weekday repositioning. Empty legs between these four cities are among the most frequently available in the market.

Seasonal Patterns & Best Timing

European empty leg availability follows distinct seasonal waves that experienced travelers can exploit:

• Ski Season (December–March) — Flights into Alpine airports like Geneva, Chambéry, Sion, Innsbruck, and Bolzano surge during winter. Jets deliver passengers to the slopes and reposition back to their home bases, creating outbound empty legs from Alpine airports. The week between Christmas and New Year produces the highest volume.
• Summer Mediterranean (June–September) — The largest seasonal shift in European private aviation. Demand flows from Northern Europe to the South of France, Sardinia, Croatia, Greece, and the Balearic Islands. Northbound return flights are the primary empty leg opportunity. The Cannes Film Festival in May kicks off the season early.
• Business Travel (September–November, January–March) — Corporate travel between London, Paris, Frankfurt, Zurich, and Milan peaks during the business season. Empty legs appear most frequently on Fridays (positioning for weekend leisure travel) and Mondays (returning from weekend trips).
• Major Events — The Monaco Grand Prix, Wimbledon, the Cannes Film Festival, Oktoberfest, and fashion weeks in Paris and Milan all produce concentrated surges of one-way traffic followed by empty repositioning flights.

How Much Can You Save?

European empty leg pricing varies by route length, aircraft category, and seasonal demand:

• Very light / light jets (Phenom 300, Citation CJ series): Standard charter €8,000–€18,000 → Empty leg €3,000–€8,000 on intra-European routes
• Midsize jets (Citation XLS, Learjet 60): Standard charter €15,000–€30,000 → Empty leg €6,000–€14,000
• Heavy / ultra-long-range jets (Challenger 650, Global 6000): Standard charter €30,000–€60,000 → Empty leg €12,000–€28,000

Short Alpine hops can be extraordinarily affordable — a very light jet from Geneva to Chambéry might appear at just €1,500–€2,500 as an empty leg, making private ski transfers accessible to a much wider audience.

Tips for Booking European Empty Legs

The European market has its own quirks that differ from the US:

1. Understand airport pairs — London alone has six major private aviation airports (Luton, Farnborough, Biggin Hill, Stansted, London City, Northolt). A deal departing from Farnborough is just as good as one from Luton for most travelers. Expand your search to all nearby FBOs.
2. Watch for cross-border VAT implications — Some European empty legs may carry different tax structures depending on the departure and arrival countries. VOLO's team handles this complexity, but it is worth understanding that headline prices may vary slightly by jurisdiction.
3. Book during the shoulder season — The weeks just before and after peak summer and ski seasons often produce the best deals, as operators reposition aircraft to their seasonal bases.
4. Consider multi-leg journeys — Europe's compact geography means you might chain two empty legs together. For example, fly London to Nice on one deal, enjoy a few days on the Riviera, then catch a separate empty leg from Nice to Geneva.
5. Sign up for route-specific alerts — VOLO's empty leg alert system lets you monitor specific European corridors and receive notifications the moment new deals are listed.

Find European Empty Legs with VOLO

VOLO's European empty leg inventory spans the continent, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and from the British Isles to Eastern Europe. Our platform aggregates repositioning flights from operators across the region, giving you real-time visibility into available deals.

Whether you are planning a ski weekend in the Alps, a summer escape to the Greek islands, or a business trip between London and Paris, empty legs can reduce your cost by half or more. Explore current European availability on our empty legs page, or reach out to our empty leg concierge to set up personalized monitoring for your preferred routes.