Geneva, Switzerland-based broker The Climate JetClub is launching a map-based empty legs app. The company says business jets are often in the spotlight because they are seen as heavy polluters, but there are dozens of aircraft flying empty every day to fetch passengers or to return to base. These empty leg flights are available for charter, usually at a discounted price, and may contribute to the overall bad image of business aviation because they are frequently not utilised. This triggered the company's response: the creation of an empty legs marketplace to make it easy to locate and book flights.

The Climate Jet Club is an exclusive club for business and leisure travellers who need to travel discreetly and seamlessly but who wish to reduce their environmental impact. It co-launched a jet card programme with GlobeAir that offers frequent flyers carbon compensation, methane capture and carbon capture options. By creating this empty legs app, the Club intends to assert its eco-responsible position and to offer its members the opportunity to make good use of empty flights. Users can see flights in real time on a live map and interact with other users by posting content.

“Thanks to the application, I was able to travel without increasing the global CO2 footprint… and I got a reduced price from Geneva to London,” says a user quote from Google Maps.

Currently, the app is only available to Android users but iOS users can still access the data via the company's website while they wait for an iPhone version to be developed. The 2.0 version, which should be released later this year, will also offer the purchase of virtual advertising space near airports and landmarks and will make it possible for users to buy flights as a group.