Commercial aircraft that travel with few or no passengers on board are referred to as “ghost flights.” These flights usually take place when airlines have to stick to a schedule, follow rules, or reserve important landing and takeoff times at congested airports. At crowded airports, where airlines are required to utilise their allocated flight slots for a minimum of 80% of the time in order to keep them from being taken over by rival airlines, slot retention becomes even more important. Ghost flights are created when airlines operate flights even when there is little to no demand in order to keep these lucrative slots.

Ghost flights benefit airlines indirectly since they protect their future income sources. Being able to hold onto airport slots is essential since they offer excellent access to profitable routes, particularly during periods of high travel demand. An airline’s ability to compete in the market can be severely impacted by losing a slot, therefore operating a nearly full or empty flight guarantees the airline retains control of that slot for when demand increases. Moreover, repositioning aircraft to be in the ideal location for routes with increasing demand or future reservations may involve ghost flights.

Although ghost flights might seem wasteful in terms of fuel and environmental impact, the long-term profitability lies in preserving the airline’s market position and operational flexibility. While these flights may not generate immediate profits through passenger tickets, airlines often consider the cost of running these flights as a necessary short-term loss to avoid far larger long-term financial consequences, such as losing a key airport slot or disrupting future high-demand schedules. Some airlines may also mitigate losses by carrying cargo on these flights, which provides some revenue even without passengers.