When a scheduled flight contains no passengers or cargo, it is known as an empty leg flight. Usually done when the aircraft needs to return to the original airport from which it departed, these flights offer financial advantages and environmental benefits that are often overlooked. If you’ve been curious about why these flights take place and how they can be advantageous, here are some facts to remember.
Reduces the Flight’s Carbon Footprint
The biggest advantage of empty leg flights is that they can be used to greatly reduce the carbon footprint a jet may make on the environment. Since these flights can often be instantly booked, they are able to be done in a manner that will save both time and money. As a result, fewer of these flights will be needed each day, meaning fewer carbon emissions will make their way into the atmosphere.
Resources Spent on Other Projects
Empty leg flights are also good for the environment in that they allow the resources that would have been spent on fuel for unnecessary flights to be spent on other projects that can benefit the environment. For example, a company may choose to use the money that would have been spent on an unnecessary flight to partner with an environmental nonprofit organization to plant trees in various parts of the world. In doing so, you can begin to immediately recognize how empty leg flights can be beneficial.
One Plane Instead of Two
Since companies like Stratos Jet Charters make it easy for passengers to get booked on empty leg flights, this results in the need for only one plane to be flying instead of two. When you book on an empty leg flight, you are booking on a flight that would have taken place regardless of whether or not there were passengers on the plane. Thus, only one plane will be needed instead of two. If you think this does not sound important, consider the fact that an empty leg flight sends enough carbon emissions into the atmosphere that are the equivalent of a typical automobile driving more than 2,000 miles.
Encourages More Booking on Empty Leg Flights
Once you and other passengers begin to realize the benefits of booking trips on empty leg flights, chances are you will begin to do this on a regular basis. Since these flights often need to be booked on short notice, you can usually expect to see the total cost of your flight reduced by 25-75% or perhaps more, depending on the amount of notice given and other details associated with the flight. This benefits the environment because it ultimately leads to fewer wasted flights and less CO2 finding its way into the atmosphere.
Development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel
As less money is spent on empty leg flights, you may be surprised to learn that much of that money is now being allocated to fund the development of sustainable aviation fuel. Unlike oil-based fuels that are very harmful to the environment, biofuels such as these can produce much less CO2, allow the plane to fly more efficiently, and be created in a manner that is very environmentally friendly.
Accumulation of Carbon Credits
When you pay to be a passenger on an empty leg flight, you are allowing the jet charter company to accumulate what is known as carbon credits. By taking a percentage of each passenger’s booking costs, money can be put towards carbon offsetting projects. As stated earlier, these projects may include helping farms around the world plant and grow more trees that will help keep the atmosphere clean. In other instances, you may find this money being used to help develop advanced technology that can help speed up the development of sustainable fuels, create state-of-the-art technology on the planes themselves, or create materials used in the construction of aircraft to increase their longevity.
Once you learn more about the benefits of booking empty leg flights and how you will help the environment by doing so, chances are you will begin to make this your standard practice. Whether it’s a flight for only yourself or for a group of your family and friends, choosing an empty leg flight will save both money and the environment.