Ferry flights are flights made by private charter planes without designated passengers in order to reposition aircraft for maintenance, delivery, or to position them for future bookings. Specifically, ferry flights are used to return planes to base, deliver planes between locations, move planes to and from maintenance bases, and position planes where future bookings require. Ferry flights provide an affordable, luxury travel option that is around 80% cheaper than a regular charter flight and offers a significantly upgraded experience over commercial flights for only around twice the price.
2. Introduction
Ferry flights, colloquially known as ‘empty leg
flights’, are trips a private charter makes
without a designated set of passengers to
board the plane.
3. Let’s look at a more precise
definition of the term
• A flight for the purpose of (1) returning an
aircraft to base; (2) delivering an aircraft from
one location to another; (3) moving an aircraft
to and from a maintenance base. Ferry flights,
under certain conditions, may be conducted
under terms in a special flight permit.
4. Ferry flights is a broad concept that is known in
different names all around the world, such as,
empty leg flights, empty leg of a private
charter, repositioning flights. Ferry flights is an
aviation term of this type mode of flying, the
others are better known among the flying
personnel.
5. Maintenance flights
Like every other machine, a private charter also
needs to be serviced regularly for it to run
efficiently. And for that it must be taken to a
maintenance station. The transit from the
airport, the flight is docked at, to the airport
with a maintenance station is the reason for
maintenance flights. The seats on these flights
are up for customers to be availed as there are
no designated fliers.
6. Non revenue flights
After completing a transit and dropping off
the flier to their destination, a charter plane
must be returned to its base to suit any other
bookings that are made for it or if there are
any maintenance tasks that need to be
undertaken. These flights do not have any set
of fliers and are open for customers to avail a
luxurious travel on them.
7. Repositioning flights
Most charter planes are docked at a certain
base when there are no bookings made for
them. But once there is a booking that aircraft
must be sent to the booking location. This
transit is either charged as ferry flight fee to
the customer or it is waived off by the charter
plane company. However, in such a case the
company let’s customers avail seats on this
flight.
8. • Now that we know the concept of
ferry flights a little better, let’s look at
the benefits this feature carries along
with it:
– A ferry flight is a mode of transport that
is cheap as well as the luxurious travel at
its price. These flights are almost 80%
cheaper as compared to the pricing of a
charter flight. Almost all of us are aware
of the comfort that comes with a private
charter, the luxurious seat, never-ending
leg space, no early arrival binding are
only a few.
9. • A ferry flight costs anywhere around the same
as a business class ticket on an
• airplane, but gives you a completely upgraded
experience in terms of comfort. To be talking
figuratively, the difference in the cost would
be only about 2x but the comfort, luxury and
perks are almost 10x to that of a commercial
flight.
10. So, go ahead and explore all the ferry flights that
are waiting for you to bunk in them and have
a luxurious travel!