CEO David Neeleman says Breeze Airways is poised to soar larger: Travel Weekly

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Breeze Airways hopes to announce its first worldwide routes throughout the subsequent week or two, CEO David Neeleman mentioned in an interview on the Airline Passenger Experience Association Global Expo on Sept. 9.

The worldwide locations, although, are already identified as a result of Breeze has been flying proving runs to Cancun and Punta Cana. Neeleman anticipated these runs, that are a requirement for receiving FAA regulatory approval to fly worldwide routes, to be accomplished quickly.

“Once we get approval, we’ll announce the routes the same day,” he mentioned. 

The launch of worldwide service would be the newest milestone for Breeze, which started flying in 2021. The airline turned its first quarterly revenue in final 12 months’s fourth quarter. And Neeleman mentioned Breeze was worthwhile once more on this 12 months’s second quarter, although the monetary report that the non-public firm should file with the U.S. Transportation Department just isn’t but publicly out there. 

Breeze now flies roughly 280 routes and serves 78 cities, Neeleman mentioned. The airline has no competitors on roughly 85% of its routes; Breeze’s enterprise mannequin is connecting metropolis pairs that in any other case would haven’t any direct service. And he sees virtually no cap on the probabilities. There are roughly 3,500 out there routes that match the Breeze profile, Neeleman mentioned. 

Among Breeze’s upcoming route launches can be 5 in March from Hollywood Burbank Airport in Southern California, the place low cost competitor Avelo will exit in December. However, Breeze can be up in opposition to new Alaska Airlines service in Burbank. Neeleman is sanguine concerning the competitors, but when it does not work out, he mentioned Breeze “has so many markets we should be in right now.” 

Over the winter, Breeze started competing in opposition to Avelo in New Haven, Conn., which is Avelo’s largest focus metropolis. Breeze has diminished its flying from New Haven by roughly 25% since March and has lower considered one of 10 routes: Sarasota. But Neeleman mentioned that on steadiness the airline is faring properly in New Haven and is benefitting from public outrage about Avelo’s contract to function constitution deportation flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 

Adjusting first-class stock

Other initiatives within the works at Breeze are a loyalty program to switch Breezy Rewards and a rise within the variety of first class-style Ascent seats on its Airbus A220s. 

The loyalty program will launch on the finish of October, although Neeleman is not prepared to speak about particulars. 

Breeze initially had 26 first-class seats on its planes, however now flies its Airbus A220s with simply 12. Neeleman mentioned that determine can be again as much as 16 inside six months. And he expects to go up from there because the airline makes additional inroads into the premium market. 

One space the place Breeze has struggled since launch is its on-time efficiency. But in August, Breeze had an on-time efficiency of 79.2%, Cirium information reveals, a 7-point enchancment over August 2024. Breeze mentioned that solely trailed Hawaiian amongst U.S. airways. 

Neeleman mentioned Breeze is working diligently to make its on-time enchancment constant. Steps embody having rescue crews on standby that may be flown to the place they’re wanted inside 90 minutes and having a pilot/technician who can ship spare elements to repair planes. 

More thorough monitoring of floor working contractors will even assist by bettering flip occasions, he mentioned.