What is a ferry flight?

A ferry flight refers to a flight where an aircraft is moved from one location to another without any passengers on board, typically for operational or logistical purposes. This can include repositioning the aircraft for upcoming scheduled flights, transferring it to another airport for maintenance or repairs, or returning it to its home base after completing a charter.

Understanding that a ferry flight serves essential operational needs helps clarify why transporting customers is not the defining characteristic of such a flight. Similarly, while maintenance checks might be involved in some scenarios, ferry flights are not exclusively intended for maintenance. The notion that ferry flights only occur on weekends is also inaccurate, as these flights can occur at any time based on routing needs. Thus, the correct definition encapsulates the function of a ferry flight as a means of repositioning an aircraft without passengers.