Breeze Airways Spins Up New GSP Destinations, Targets Underserved Cities
The airline aims to connect communities and fill the gap in regional air service
HERE News, Greenville – Breeze Airways has begun nonstop service to five new destinations from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in early May, aiming to connect communities and target underserved cities. This innovative step was designed to meet the growing needs of the rapidly expanding Southeast portion of the U.S. population, as well as address the fallout of the pandemic on the airline industry.
The Driving Force Behind Breeze Airways
David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways, has been a pioneer in the airline industry for decades. With successful ventures including Morris Air, Canada’s WestJet, JetBlue, and Brazil’s Azul, Neeleman has a proven track record in launching and growing airlines. His latest venture, Breeze Airways, is no exception to this pattern of success.
As the keynote speaker at the recent Greenville Area Development Corp.’s annual investor luncheon, Neeleman discussed what’s driving the company’s success and its investment in the Greenville-Spartanburg community. He revealed that Breeze Airways’ strategy is centered around filling the gaps left by other airlines scaling back their operations, primarily in regional air service.
Filling in the Gaps in Regional Air Service
From a peak in 2010 of about 1 million flights per year, regional air travel had plunged to 550,000 flights per year by 2018 with more than 120 smaller cities experiencing significant reductions in their air service. This decrease was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re basically filling a niche others have chosen to abandon,” Neeleman said.
To address this issue, Breeze Airways was created to fulfill the air-travel needs in cities where other airlines have scaled back. The airline’s guiding philosophy is to offer travelers a journey that is “twice as fast at half the cost.”
The Key to Breeze Airways’ Success
Breeze Airways primarily uses the efficient and spacious Airbus A220-300, with over two dozen in operation and dozens more on order. With configurations for 120 to 160 passengers, these planes are ideally suited to the regional air service Breeze aims to provide.
Another integral part of Breeze’s strategy focuses on two sectors of air travel – leisure and families visiting friends and relatives. Nonstop flights to such places as Los Angeles and Orlando have proven popular, and the airline has accelerated its fleet expansion of Airbus A220s to meet this increased demand.
Breeze Airways’ Future Expansions
Neeleman believes that Greenville and the Upstate are a success story for what Breeze Airways hopes to achieve. With plans to receive more Airbus A220s in the next 18 months, Neeleman expressed his intention to strengthen the airline’s presence at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.
Breeze Airways aims to bring its successful model of addressing underserved markets to other cities across the U.S., providing crucial services and aiding in their economic growth. For more information about Breeze Airways and its service routes, visit flybreeze.com.
About Breeze Airways
Since its inaugural flights in 2021, Breeze Airways has expanded and currently serves 56 cities in 37 states. From Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, Breeze offers services to destinations including Providence/Boston, Tampa, Los Angeles, Hartford, and Orlando. As the airline continues its expansion, more cities are set to benefit from its unique approach to regional air service.
