Breeze Airways

Breeze Airways

File:Breeze Airways logo.svg Logo of Breeze Airways
Company type	Private
Industry	Airline
Founded	June 2018 (2018-06)
Founder	David Neeleman
Headquarters	Cottonwood Heights, Utah , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	David Neeleman (Founder and CEO), Tom Doxey (President, until 2024)
Products	Passenger air transport
Parent	Breeze Aviation Group, Inc.
Website	www.flybreeze.com

Breeze Airways, officially known as Breeze Aviation Group, Inc., is a US-based low-cost airline with its main office located in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. The airline was founded by David Neeleman, who also co-founded Morris Air, WestJet, JetBlue, and Azul Linhas Aereas. Breeze commenced its operations on May 27, 2021, with its first flight departing from Tampa International Airport to Charleston International Airport.

Origin and formation

In June 2018, David Neeleman announced plans to establish a new American airline initially called Moxy Airways. The venture was backed financially by former executives including Robert Milton (ex-CEO of Air Canada), Henri Courpron (former ILFC CEO), Michael Lazarus (previous JetBlue board chairman), alongside Neeleman himself. They recognized a gap in the US airline market, observing that all profitable major carriers had been operating for over two decades—except for JetBlue, which Neeleman co-founded in 2000. In 2017, the four largest US airlines accounted for 80% of domestic passengers, while service to smaller destinations had diminished and domestic air travel capacity had remained flat from 2007 to 2017 despite a 34% growth in the economy.

The business model focused on providing point-to-point service from smaller secondary airports such as Norfolk International, Westchester County, and Providence’s T. F. Green Airport, thereby avoiding larger hubs to reduce travel time. There were also considerations for extending routes to South America and Europe. Unlike conventional low-cost carriers (LCCs), the airline planned to feature two cabins—first class and economy—with roomy seating and complimentary Wi-Fi, akin to Azul and JetBlue. However, it intended to charge for snacks and advance seat selections similar to ultra low-cost carriers like Allegiant Air or Spirit Airlines. Instead of seatback screens, in-flight entertainment would be streamed directly to passengers’ personal devices. At launch, the fleet included an order for 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft (previously Bombardier CS300), with plans to secure Chinese lessors for financing 18 planes starting in 2021. To expedite the launch timeline to 2020, the company planned to operate used Embraer 195 jets sourced from Azul.

On February 7, 2020, the airline rebranded as Breeze Airways, abandoning the "Moxy" name due to trademark issues with Marriott’s "Moxy Hotels," although it retained the MX/MXY airline codes and MOXY callsign. The branding elements—such as logo, color scheme, and aircraft livery—were crafted by Brazilian marketing expert Gianfranco "Panda" Beting, co-founder of Azul and designer of branding for TAP Air Portugal and Transbrasil. Neeleman introduced the slogan "World's Nicest Airline." On February 20, 2020, Breeze Airways officially established its headquarters in Cottonwood Heights, Utah.

Commencement of operations

Originally targeting a 2020 launch by acquiring Compass Airlines, Breeze later abandoned that plan and deferred its start until 2021. The strategy involved initially deploying Embraer 190 aircraft for short regional flights before expanding with Airbus A220-300 jets on longer routes. On March 10, 2021, Breeze secured federal authorization from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) and received its air operator's certificate on May 14, 2021. Ticket sales commenced soon after, leading up to the inaugural flight on May 27, 2021.

Post-launch

After commencing operations, Breeze significantly grew its domestic presence by adding numerous short-distance and cross-country routes throughout the United States, along with charter services. In 2023, the carrier embarked on plans to extend its reach internationally, submitting an application to the USDOT in May to begin flights to Mexico. Later that year, in November 2023, founder David Neeleman revealed plans to broaden the airline’s footprint into the European market.

Corporate affairs

Breeze Airways is based in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The airline’s founder and current CEO is David Neeleman. On June 9, 2022, Tom Doxey—who has previous leadership experience at Allegiant Air, United Airlines, and US Airways—was appointed as company president. He shifted into an advisory capacity by August 2024.

Destinations

Breeze maintains a network of domestic routes operating within the United States.

Current fleet

As of , Breeze Airways operates the following aircraft:

Breeze Airways fleet

Aircraft	In service	Orders	Passengers					Notes
			F	Y+	Y	Total	Ref
Airbus A220-300	49	41	12	45	80	137
Embraer 190	8	—	—	48	60	108		–
Total	57	41

Former fleet

The airline’s previous fleet included the following aircraft:

Breeze Airways former fleet

Aircraft	Total	Introduced	Retired
Embraer 195	7	2020	2025

Fleet development

On July 17, 2018, Breeze signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for 60 Airbus A220-300 aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2021. This commitment was finalized in January 2019 and included options for an additional 60 planes. To commence operations prior to receiving the A220s, Breeze arranged subleases for up to 30 Embraer 195 jets from Azul Brazilian Airlines, dependent on lease options held by LOT Polish Airlines, and leased up to fifteen Embraer 190s from Nordic Aviation Capital. The first Embraer 195 arrived in December 2020, followed by the first Embraer 190 in February 2021. These Embraers had previously been operated by carriers such as Air Canada, Air Europa Express, and Azul.

On April 26, 2021, Breeze confirmed firm orders for an additional 20 A220-300 aircraft, increasing its total commitment to 80 units. Initially, Airbus listed this order under a confidential customer. Breeze publicly disclosed exercising these purchase options on September 13, 2021. The inaugural A220-300 was delivered on October 26, 2021, with entry into service occurring on May 25, 2022.

On February 20, 2024, Breeze finalized options for ten more A220-300s, bringing its total order count to 90 aircraft. Concurrently, the airline announced plans to shift its Embraer fleet from scheduled routes to charter operations, reducing its Embraer aircraft from sixteen to ten by the end of 2024. By May 2025, all Embraer 195 planes were retired from service.

Ticket categories

Breeze provides four distinct ticket categories within two service levels, ranging from the "No Flex Fare" tickets that do not permit itinerary modifications, to the "Nice," "Nicer," and "Nicest" classes which include benefits such as enhanced legroom, additional baggage allowance, complimentary meals, and Wi-Fi.

When Breeze launched in 2021, the "Nice" option served as a straightforward fare, while the "Nicer" tier offered extra advantages; both allowed passengers to change or cancel their travel plans without fees. The "Nicest" class was introduced in October 2021 alongside the deployment of Airbus A220-300 aircraft, featuring first-class seating arrangements. In March 2024, the airline unveiled the "No Flex Fare" category, restricting itinerary adjustments and providing partial credit for cancellations, akin to basic economy class fares on other carriers.

Onboard services

All Breeze flights follow a buy-on-board approach for food and beverages, complemented by complimentary streaming in-flight entertainment accessible on most Airbus and Embraer planes. In March 2022, Breeze revealed intentions to equip its A220 fleet with Viasat Wi-Fi, initially planned for rollout in October 2022. Due to unforeseen delays, installation commenced in 2023, with full Wi-Fi availability across all A220 aircraft anticipated by mid-2024.

Seating arrangements

Breeze’s first class product, known as "Breeze Ascent," is exclusively available on Airbus A220 aircraft and features a 2–2 seat layout. Economy class offers both "Extra Legroom" and "Standard" seating options, arranged in a 2–3 configuration on the A220 and 2–2 on the Embraer 190.

In 2022, Breeze implemented a flexible seating plan for its A220s to better accommodate route-specific or seasonal passenger demand by reducing first-class seats and increasing extra legroom availability. This configuration was subsequently adopted fleet-wide for all A220 aircraft.

Frequent-flyer program

Breezy Rewards serves as Breeze Airways’ loyalty and travel credit program, utilizing BreezePoints as its currency. It follows a revenue-based accrual system where points are earned based on money spent on base fares as well as ancillary charges such as seat upgrades and baggage fees. The amount of points awarded depends on the ticket class purchased and can be redeemed toward future purchases with the airline; points expire two years after issuance.