SkyAccess: A Real-Time Empty Leg Marketplace Built for Scale
SkyAccess and Leon Software have announced a formal technology integration that enables charter operators using Leon’s cloud-based aviation management platform to automatically publish eligible empty leg and repositioning flights directly to the SkyAccess marketplace. The integration represents a significant step forward in streamlining empty leg distribution across Europe, allowing operators to reduce friction, improve aircraft utilization, and respond more effectively to growing demand for flexible private aviation options.
As private aviation continues to evolve in Europe, empty leg flights—previously an opaque and underutilized segment of the market—are becoming an increasingly attractive option for both operators and travelers. The integration between SkyAccess and Leon Software is designed to meet this shift head-on by embedding real-time distribution into operators’ existing workflows, eliminating manual processes and accelerating time-to-market for repositioning availability.
Responding to Rising Demand for Empty Leg Travel in Europe
Across Europe, demand for empty leg flights has been steadily rising, driven by a combination of traveler behavior changes, economic considerations, and increased familiarity with private aviation alternatives. Business travelers, leisure passengers, and corporate clients alike are seeking one-way private jet solutions on short-haul routes between major business centers, financial hubs, and popular leisure destinations.
Empty leg flights—created when an aircraft must reposition without passengers—offer a compelling value proposition by allowing travelers to access private jet services at significantly reduced rates. Historically, however, these flights have been difficult to discover due to fragmented distribution, manual coordination, and limited real-time visibility.
The SkyAccess–Leon Software integration directly addresses these challenges by enabling operators to automatically surface eligible empty legs to a centralized marketplace where demand already exists. Rather than relying on manual uploads, email coordination, or phone-based sales efforts, operators can now distribute availability instantly, improving the likelihood that empty seats are sold before the repositioning flight occurs.
Automation Embedded Into Existing Operator Workflows
At the core of the integration is a shared understanding that operators do not want additional tools or operational complexity. Instead, they want seamless distribution that aligns with how they already manage flight schedules, pricing, and aircraft availability.
Leon Software, widely used by charter operators across Europe and globally, serves as a central operational backbone for scheduling, crew management, dispatch, and flight tracking. By integrating SkyAccess directly into Leon’s platform, operators can publish empty leg flights without duplicating data entry or altering their existing processes.
Once enabled, eligible empty leg and repositioning flights are automatically identified and shared with the SkyAccess marketplace in real time. Operators retain full control over which flights are listed, how pricing is set, and when availability is withdrawn or modified. This ensures that commercial strategy, operational constraints, and customer commitments remain firmly in the hands of the operator.
Paweł Szmagaj, Chief Technology Officer of Leon Software, emphasized the importance of speed and operational alignment in empty leg distribution. He noted that repositioning opportunities often move quickly, and delays in publishing availability can result in lost revenue. By connecting Leon Software directly to SkyAccess, operators gain the ability to share accurate, up-to-date availability with the market faster, while preserving control over pricing and operational decision-making.
SkyAccess: A Real-Time Empty Leg Marketplace Built for Scale
SkyAccess has positioned itself as a real-time empty leg marketplace that aggregates repositioning flights from a growing network of certified private jet operators. The platform is designed to provide travelers with transparent access to genuine availability, while helping operators monetize flights that would otherwise generate no revenue.
Rather than functioning as a traditional broker, SkyAccess focuses on aggregation and distribution, allowing operators to reach incremental demand without disrupting existing sales channels or relationships. The integration with Leon Software strengthens this model by improving data accuracy, reducing latency, and ensuring that listings reflect real operational conditions.
Daniil Buriev, Co-Founder and CEO of SkyAccess, highlighted that operators increasingly expect distribution solutions to fit seamlessly into their established systems. He noted that the integration allows Leon Software users to place real-time availability in front of travelers with minimal effort, particularly in Europe, where interest in empty leg travel is accelerating across both business and leisure segments.
Improving Aircraft Utilization and Revenue Efficiency
For charter operators, empty legs represent both a challenge and an opportunity. Repositioning flights are a necessary part of operations, yet they often result in underutilized aircraft, higher per-flight costs, and reduced margin efficiency. Automating the distribution of these flights helps convert unavoidable operational movements into potential revenue-generating opportunities.
By eliminating manual listing processes, the SkyAccess–Leon integration reduces the administrative burden on operations and sales teams. Flights that once required active monitoring, manual coordination, or last-minute outreach can now be automatically surfaced to a broader audience as soon as they become eligible.
This efficiency is particularly valuable in the European market, where dense route networks, short flight times, and frequent repositioning create a steady supply of empty leg opportunities. Operators can now respond dynamically to this environment, improving fleet utilization while maintaining operational discipline.
Maintaining Control Over Pricing and Availability
A key concern for operators when adopting marketplace distribution is maintaining control over pricing strategy and availability. The integration has been designed to address these concerns by ensuring that operators remain the final authority on how and when flights are listed.
Pricing remains fully configurable within Leon Software, and any updates are reflected in real time on the SkyAccess platform. Operators can choose to withdraw flights, adjust availability windows, or modify pricing based on changing operational or commercial considerations. This flexibility ensures that empty leg distribution enhances, rather than undermines, broader charter sales strategies.
The ability to control availability is particularly important for operators managing complex fleets, variable demand patterns, and high-value charter relationships. The integration allows them to capture incremental demand without cannibalizing full-fare bookings or compromising service commitments.
Enhancing Transparency for Travelers
From the traveler perspective, the integration improves transparency and reliability in the empty leg market. Real-time data exchange reduces the risk of outdated listings, unavailable flights, or last-minute cancellations driven by misaligned information. Travelers browsing the SkyAccess platform gain access to current availability sourced directly from operators’ operational systems.
This transparency helps build trust in empty leg travel as a viable alternative to traditional charter bookings. As more travelers become comfortable with one-way private jet options, demand is expected to continue growing, particularly for regional routes within Europe.
A Step Toward a More Connected Private Aviation Ecosystem
The Leon Software–SkyAccess integration reflects a broader trend within private aviation toward greater connectivity, automation, and data-driven distribution. As operators face rising cost pressures, regulatory complexity, and competitive dynamics, technology partnerships that reduce friction and improve efficiency are becoming increasingly critical.
By linking operational management software with a dedicated empty leg marketplace, the integration helps bridge the gap between supply and demand in a way that benefits operators, travelers, and the broader ecosystem. It also underscores the importance of open, scalable technology architectures that allow aviation platforms to interoperate rather than operate in isolation.
Both SkyAccess and Leon Software view the integration as a foundation for continued collaboration and innovation. As adoption grows among European charter operators, the partnership is expected to support increased marketplace liquidity, improved utilization metrics, and enhanced customer experience on both sides of the transaction.
With empty leg travel gaining momentum and operators seeking smarter ways to monetize repositioning flights, the integration positions both companies at the center of a rapidly evolving segment of the private aviation market. By prioritizing automation, real-time data exchange, and operator control, SkyAccess and Leon Software are helping define a more efficient and transparent future for empty leg distribution across Europe and beyond.
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