Empty leg flights to and from Ireland

Ireland is a short hop from almost anywhere in Britain and the last stop in Europe before the Atlantic, and both facts shape its private flying. Dublin carries a steady business shuttle to London and the continent, Shannon handles transatlantic jets that clear United States border control before they leave, and the south west fills with golf groups from April to October.

In September 2027 the Ryder Cup comes to Adare Manor, a short drive from Shannon, and Shannon Airport's management is already describing that week as a very tight logistical operation. Airports, private terminals, customs since Brexit and the sources of empty legs differ more across the country than its size suggests. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and has a guide of its own, for Belfast.

Empty legs across Ireland right now

The board below lists every sector our operator network has released that starts or ends at an Irish airport: Dublin, Shannon and Cork, and also Kerry, Knock and the smaller fields, which are easy to miss on a general search.

Where Irish sectors come from

Most of the repositioning flights to and from Ireland come from four sources, and they peak at different times of year.

Which Irish airport to fly into

Six airports carry nearly all private flying in the Republic. Choose by where you are going and by what the aircraft needs, because the runways, the opening hours and the customs arrangements differ more than the map suggests.

One rule matters more since Brexit. Britain is outside the EU customs area, so a private flight from a British airport normally lands at Dublin, Shannon or Cork, which are the customs airports for traffic from outside the EU. Kerry, Knock and the smaller fields can take it only with approval from Irish customs arranged ahead of the flight. Galway, which older guides still list, has had no scheduled service since 2011 and is now used by a flying club.

Private terminals across Ireland, and what is inside them

The differences between Irish airports are large, and 2026 changed two of them: Dublin built a shorter route between its private apron and the terminal, and Shannon moved private passengers into its main security hall. This is what each airport is like from the passenger side.

What to expect on the ground

Flying private in Ireland is quick at every airport, but the details depend on which one you use and where you are flying from.

US preclearance at Shannon

Shannon was the first airport in Europe to offer United States preclearance to private aircraft, and in Ireland it is still the only one. Immigration, customs and agriculture checks are done before departure, so the jet lands in America as a domestic flight at any of about two hundred approved airports. Dublin offers preclearance to airline passengers only.

For an empty leg this matters twice. A jet going home to the United States after a European trip often stops at Shannon anyway, and a sector from Shannon to New York or Boston arrives without a queue at the other end.

Golf, racing and castles: the nearest runway

The names that bring private jets to Ireland are spread along the west coast and around Dublin, and each has an airport that suits it better than the others. Times are typical by car.

For several of these in one trip, a helicopter changes the arithmetic. Shannon to Ashford Castle takes about twenty five minutes against an hour and three quarters by road, Shannon to Waterville about forty against three hours, and Dublin to Adare Manor about fifty against nearly two and a half. Golf helicopters in Ireland book up early, and a year ahead is not unusual for the summer.

What the ground costs

Ireland charges no departure tax at all, and the costs that catch people out are about time and parking rather than duty.

Positioning decides the rest. Irish operators such as Westair keep jets at Shannon, and a large American fractional operator has set up an Irish operation with a Dublin based team, so a charter from either airport can often be priced without a long empty flight in front of it. Kerry, Knock and Cork usually need an aircraft brought in first, and that is exactly the flight an empty leg removes.

Air or road: how long it actually takes

Ireland is small on the map and slow on the road once you leave the motorways, which is why short private flights inside the country make more sense than they appear to.

On a golf week in the south west that difference adds up quickly. Arriving at Kerry rather than Dublin saves about three and a half hours on the road at each end, and the aircraft that flew you there becomes an empty leg the moment you step off it.

Popular routes from Ireland, and which way they run empty

These routes are listed from the Irish airport where each one starts most often. Every amount is a guide for the entire aircraft on a flight that is repositioning anyway, and the charter price list for Ireland gives the aircraft type and the full fare for the same route.

The transatlantic rows are the ones to register rather than watch. An aircraft heading home to the United States after a European trip often routes through Shannon for fuel and preclearance, and it may well be flying empty, but it will not wait long for a buyer.

Online calculator

If you want to see what your route would cost as a standard charter, so you have something to measure an empty leg against, use the calculator below. Fill in the airports, the dates and the number of passengers, add any preference on aircraft type, and we will send a written calculation by email or messenger. Please check your contact details carefully so that we can reply quickly.

The figure the calculator returns is an estimate for planning. The firm quote comes back from our consultants with the cost broken out line by line, and the price agreed there is the price written into the contract.

If you would rather skip the arithmetic, send us the route and the dates instead and a consultant will come back with both numbers, the charter price and any empty leg that fits.

Arriving in Ireland, and flying on to Britain

Ireland is in the European Union but not in the Schengen area, and Britain is outside both, so the formalities depend on which way you are travelling.

• Arriving from Britain. The flight is reported to Irish customs at least a day ahead and normally lands at Dublin, Shannon or Cork. British and Irish citizens enter freely under the Common Travel Area, and everyone else passes a normal passport check.
• Arriving from the continent. Passport control applies because Ireland is outside Schengen, and a visitor who needs an Irish visa must hold one before departure.
• Going on to Britain. The operator files the UK arrival report before the flight. Irish citizens do not need the UK electronic travel authorisation, and neither do legal residents of Ireland travelling from within the Common Travel Area, but most other visitors do.
• Going on to the United States. Preclearance at Shannon turns the arrival in America into a domestic one.
• Departure tax. None on a flight out of Ireland. The only duty on a round trip from Britain is the one charged in Britain on the outbound leg, shown as its own line in any quote we send.

Typical flight times into Ireland, for the aircraft that usually flies each route:

The two Atlantic crossings are about an hour quicker eastbound than the westbound times in the price table, because the prevailing westerlies are behind the aircraft on the way to Ireland and against it on the way back.

Ireland's year for empty legs, month by month

Ireland's calendar is set by racing, rugby and golf, and in 2027 by the Ryder Cup. The weeks that fill the country are also the ones that produce empty legs the day after.

April, May, October and February are the easiest months to find a sector. The weeks to plan around are Cheltenham in March, the Irish Derby and the Galway Races in summer, and above all the Ryder Cup in September 2027, when the empty legs will come on the Monday.

Three situations, three answers

Travelling with a dog, into Ireland and back

Into Ireland from Britain the rules are strict, and they apply to private flights too. A dog or cat may only enter through Dublin, Shannon or Cork airports, the airport has to be told at least 24 hours before arrival through the government's advance notice portal, and a dog needs a tapeworm treatment from a vet between one and five days before landing, along with its health certificate.

Coming back is simpler. A flight from Ireland to Great Britain needs no approved route, and a dog arriving directly from Ireland needs no tapeworm treatment, although the microchip, the rabies vaccination and the paperwork are still checked. Mention the animal when you first get in touch, and the choice of airports will be built around it.

Questions about flying private to Ireland

Call +44 7857 574938, message the same number on WhatsApp, or write to flight@empty-leg.co.uk. Send us the week and the part of Ireland you are heading for, and we will pick the airport and track every sector that could get you there.