An empty leg is a flight with no passengers on board. It happens whenever a chartered aircraft has to reposition, most often on the return after a one-way charter. The aircraft has to make that trip anyway, so rather than fly it empty we sometimes release the seats at a reduced fare.

Why they are cheaper

The cost of the flight is already covered by the charter that created it. Anything we earn on the empty leg is a bonus, so the price to you can be a fraction of a normal charter. The trade is simple: you give up control of the route and the timing.

What you cannot change

Because the flight exists only to move the aircraft, the origin, destination and date are fixed. You take it as it is, when it is going. That is the one catch, and it is why empty legs suit flexible travellers rather than fixed diaries.

How to be ready

• Tell us the route you would take if it came up.
• Keep your dates flexible, since empty legs are announced at short notice.
• Be ready to confirm quickly, as the seats go to whoever is ready first.

Register your preferred route with us and we will be in touch when one matches. If your dates are firm, a passenger charter is the better fit.

Register your route

Both get you there, but they solve different problems. A scheduled airline sells you a seat on a flight it was going to run anyway. A charter gives you the whole aircraft, on your route and your timing.

When scheduled wins

If your route is on a major network, your dates are flexible, and you are travelling alone or in a small group, a scheduled ticket is almost always cheaper per seat. There is no reason to charter a flight that already exists.

When a charter wins

• Your destination has no scheduled service, or only an awkward one.
• You are moving a group, and buying many seats adds up.
• Timing matters more than price, for a same-day return or a tight schedule.
• You are carrying cargo that will not fit a passenger service.
• Discretion or privacy is part of the requirement.

The honest answer

For a single traveller on a busy route, we will tell you to buy a ticket. For a delegation heading to a rural airfield on a fixed day, a charter is not a luxury, it is the only sensible way to make the trip work.

Ask us which fits your trip

Lesotho is the only country in the world that sits entirely above 1,000 metres, and much of it is a good deal higher. That geography is exactly why aircraft matter here, and it is also what makes flying into the mountains a careful business.

Thin air and short strips

At altitude the air is thinner, so an aircraft needs more runway to take off and climbs more slowly. Many mountain strips are short, unpaved and surrounded by high ground. The load an aircraft can carry into one of these fields is often less than it could lift from an airport at sea level.

What we plan for

• The runway length, surface and slope at the destination.
• The elevation and the expected temperature, which both affect performance.
• The weight of the cargo, balanced against fuel and the field's limits.
• Weather windows, since mountain conditions change fast.

Why it is worth it

For a clinic, a project site or a community cut off by road, an aircraft is sometimes the difference between supplies arriving in hours rather than days. Matching the right aircraft to the strip is the part we take most seriously.

Plan a cargo flight

People are often surprised that a charter is priced per trip, not per seat. Here is what sits behind the number on your quote, so nothing on it comes as a shock.

The main drivers

• The aircraft. A larger or faster aircraft costs more per hour to operate.
• Flying time. Distance and speed set the hours, and hours are the biggest single factor.
• Positioning. If the aircraft has to fly to you first, that time counts too.
• Airport charges. Landing, handling and parking vary by airfield.
• The trip shape. A same-day return, an overnight, or crew waiting on the ground all change the figure.

Where charters begin

Most charter and contract engagements start in the region of LSL 25,000 and rise from there with distance, aircraft and cargo. A short hop in a light aircraft sits near the bottom, a long multi-leg trip in a larger aircraft sits well above it.

What you will not find

Hidden fees. Every quote we send is fixed and itemised, so you can see what each part costs before you commit.

Get a fixed quote

If you operate your own aircraft, or you are arranging a trip for someone who does, you will meet these two terms. They overlap, but they are not the same thing.

Flight support

This keeps the aircraft legal and moving. It covers the overflight and landing permits for each country on the route, ground handling at every stop, fuel arrangements, and the overall management of a trip through African airspace. It is aimed at the operation of the flight itself.

Trip support

This looks after the people. It covers crew briefings, catering, ground transport, hotels and the clearances a private or corporate trip needs, from departure to arrival. It is aimed at the experience on the ground at each end.

Which do you need?

Most trips through the region need a bit of both, which is why we offer them together. If you are flying your own aircraft here and are not sure what applies, tell us the route and we will map out what you will need.

Talk to us about support