Breeze Airways announced its latest network expansion on Wednesday, covering 18 new routes and five new destinations for the carrier.
Many of the new routes follow Breeze's operational model, to connect under-served communities outside of major metropolitan areas with leisure destinations across the United States.
The first routes will be launched in late October, with all 18 new city pairs expected to be connected by Valentine's Day 2025. Here's a breakdown of Breeze's new routes and the airline's first foray into New York City.
Breeze's First New York City Flights
Headlining Breeze's network expansion is the carrier's first flight to New York City. The airline will serve Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), about 15 miles west of Downtown Manhattan.
Starting on November 14, 2024, Breeze will connect EWR with West Virginia International Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, WV. Breeze will operate the route twice weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays, with its Airbus A220 aircraft.
In addition, while not a nonstop route, Breeze passengers will also be able to fly from Newark to Orlando with a stop in CRW as a part of Breeze's 'Breeze Thru' service. This means passengers will not have to switch aircraft, making for a much easier connecting experience.
While Newark is Breeze's first airport inside of the New York Metropolitan area, the airline already operates or plans to operate out of three other surrounding airports: Westchester County White Plains Airport (HPN), New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), and Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP).
“With the addition of Newark, Breeze now serves four New York City area airports while continuing to expand our footprint across the U.S.,” Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman told Travel + Leisure magazine.
Three Other New Destinations
In addition to New York City, Breeze will also begin service in three other cities: Erie, Pennsylvania; South Bend, Indiana; and Wilmington, North Carolina.
These destinations continue Breeze's mission to operate VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) flights and connect airports that do not have a lot of competition.
“By connecting the dots between underserved city pairs, we are giving travelers more options than ever to fly affordably and comfortably to over 60 destinations across 30 states on more than 200 nonstop flights," Neeleman said.
Breeze's 18 New Routes
Below is a table of all 18 new routes that Breeze plans to begin:
Origin | Destination | Begins | Frequency |
Newark, NJ (EWR) | Charleston, WV (CRW) | Nov. 14 | Thursday, Sunday |
Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) | Westchester County, NY (HPN) | Nov. 14 | Thursday, Sunday |
Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) | Hartford, CT (BDL) | Feb. 13 | Thursday, Sunday |
Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) | Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) | Feb. 13 | Thursday, Sunday |
Daytona Beach, FL (DAB) | Providence, RI (PVD) | Feb. 14 | Monday, Friday |
Erie, PA (ERI) | Orlando, FL (MCO) | Nov. 6 | Wednesday, Saturday |
Wilmington, NC (ILM) | Providence, RI (PVD) | Feb. 14 | Monday, Friday |
Wilmington, NC (ILM) | Fort Myers, FL (RSW) | Feb. 14 | Monday, Friday |
Wilmington, NC (ILM) | Hartford, CT (BDL) | Feb. 13 | Thursday, Sunday |
Wilmington, NC (ILM) | Orlando, FL (MCO) | Feb. 13 | Thursday, Sunday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Richmond, VA (RIC) | Nov. 22 | Monday, Friday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Arkon-Canton, OH (CAK) | Nov. 20 | Wednesday, Saturday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Islip, NY (ISP) | Nov. 21 | Thursday, Sunday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Westchester County, NY (HPN) | Oct. 31 | Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Portland, ME (PWM) | Nov. 20 | Wednesday, Saturday |
Sarasota, FL (SRQ) | Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) | Nov. 22 | Monday, Friday |
South Bend, IN (SBN) | Fort Myers, FL (RSW) | Feb. 5 | Wednesday, Saturday |
South Bend, IN (SBN) | Orlando, FL (MCO) | Nov. 7 | Thursday, Sunday |
As Breeze continues to expand, it is beginning to compete more with other airlines, including fellow start-up budget airlines, Avelo Airlines itself is fresh of a record network expansion.
Of the four routes Breeze is launching from Wilmington, NC, the carrier is competing head-to-head with Avelo on three of those routes.
With the 5 new cities and 18 new routes, Breeze's route network will come to 64 nonstop destinations across 30 states.
What do you think of Breeze's newest route expansion? Have you ever flown with the airline? Let us know in the comments!