Switch to:
EN 
Português (PT) 
Español (ES)
Brazil is a huge market in the global air taxi sector. It is estimated that the country is second only to the United States, the world leader in business aviation. Added to this is the fact that, even with the aviation crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, this sector continues to grow. More and more people are interested in flying these aircraft. Being a beginner, however, it is common to have doubts about the best option between an empty leg flight or a common charter.
This is because the executive aviation market offers several modalities and service options. You can charter an aircraft for leisure or for work, for aeromedical services, for transporting cargo or valuables… you can choose a helicopter, a piston plane, a turboprop, an entry jet or a light or a long-range one.
There are many options, no? But basically, to start answering the question raised earlier, let’s provide some definitions. Chartering an aircraft is nothing more than renting a plane or helicopter to carry out exclusively the itinerary(s) you want, on the day and time that suits you.
Empty leg flights (also known as repositioned flights) are offered when an aircraft will take off without passengers on board. This is because this means of transport has to return to its original base, as it was only chartered for a one-way trip. On routes with high demand, available seats are sold, but in some cases the entire aircraft can be rented.
Advantages of Empty Leg
This type of flight is always a by-product of other operations – whether for the return of an aircraft, as explained above, or even when returning to another city for scheduled maintenance. In this way, empty legs are always marketed only for a stretch.
If you travel frequently and even without much prior planning, this modality can help you. If you travel through the main capitals of Brazil and even the world, it is quite likely that you will find some active offers on the Flapper app daily. In the search for a seat overnight, an empty leg can often save you.
In addition, even if it is a shared flight with other people, opting for business aviation can save you a few hours of queues and terminals and offer you a much greater level of privacy than on a regular plane.
Empty legs are also an excellent option for those who want to try such a flight for the first time, as prices are up to 60% lower than those charged normally – even on more sophisticated aircraft.
Therefore, in a global moment when remote work is increasingly prevalent and digital nomadism is gaining strength among entrepreneurs, empty-leg trips end up becoming a fun new option for those who want to make their home-office from other cities – whether for a few days’ getaway to the coast, or for a longer stay in a country in South America, North America, or Europe.
A necessity, however, for those who want to fly this way is keeping an eye out. Due to the short time in advance with which they are announced, seats or aircraft available for an empty leg quickly sell out. In addition, flexible scheduling in these cases is mandatory. That’s because the repositioned flights can have their schedules changed or even canceled, depending on the changes in the original flight that generated this empty leg.
Thus, you must have the flexibility that these flights do not have, since they are pre-determined in all their details (cities, schedules, and aircraft) without the possibility of changes by the passenger. However, this is your best chance to have an unforgettable business aviation experience for a very friendly fare.
The Benefits of Chartering Your Aircraft
The main differential of executive aviation is valuing what is most precious in your routines: time. Therefore, when you choose the conventional charter of an aircraft, you are making the operation adapt completely to your schedule needs and departure and arrival airports.
Everything here will be your way. From the chosen plane or helicopter, through the internal configuration of the equipment, to the catering: it’s all up to you to choose. Even if you rent an entire jet via empty leg, it still will have been chosen by someone else, and you will not be able to make changes.
If empty-leg flights are good options for those entrepreneurs less attached to a conventional routine, chartering is an excellent option for executives of large companies, who can turn their flight into an air office.
There are several planes that are prepared for both small families and groups to have meetings and continue carrying out their projects while traveling. In addition, the vast majority of them have desks, wi-fi, and a structure to accommodate computers, tablets, and other work tools, keeping productivity high, in addition to a complete entertainment service.
In summary, charter is the best option for those looking for privacy, comfort, and stability. The fares will be higher than an empty leg, of course, but the experience will be 100% as planned by and for you, with the help of Flapper’s team of experts.
Simulation
At this moment*, the Flapper app offers, for example, an empty-legged flight between Congonhas Airport (SBSP; CGH) and Brasília International Airport (SBBR; BSB), one day in advance, for R$1,300.
The trip in question will be carried out aboard the modern Phenom 100E jet, designed and manufactured in Brazil by Embraer – an aircraft that ideally seats up to four passengers in a club seating configuration.
If you simulate this same itinerary, aboard this same aircraft, you will see that the chartering of the plane will be around R$ 58,500. Even if you want to join friends on the flight, sharing the amount with them, the investment for each of the four passengers would be just over R$14,600.
For comparison, a flight between Congonhas and Brasília purchased overnight is being sold, in commercial aviation, between R$1,600 and R$2,500. In other words, if your flight is last minute, flying on an empty leg offer will probably be cheaper than a conventional trip.
* Both the mentioned itinerary and the flight prices were collected at the time of writing this text. Because of the dynamic nature of aviation, this data changes every day.
Fly with Flapper
To keep up with empty leg offers, stay tuned to the Flapper app. In its interface, there is a section dedicated only to these flights, with all the available offers. Clicking on each one, you will have boarding and disembarkation details, schedules, cities, and aircraft.
Within the application itself, you can select whether you want to proceed with the reservation of a seat or the entire aircraft, and check every detail of the option chosen, from its technical specifications to its certifications. Keep push notifications enabled on your device so you don’t miss any of the offers.
The common charter can also be carried out using the Flapper application, where it is possible to perform personalized simulations with your boarding and disembarkation locations, schedules, and preferred aircraft.
Regardless of the option chosen, you will have a first-rate experience, with a lot of convenience, comfort, and agility. Book your next flight now and, if you have any questions, contact our team at:
