Journalist – Aaron is an aviation and travel journalist with 14 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. His background spans airport operations, aviation infrastructure, and travel consulting, having worked with global organizations across New Zealand, Europe, and North America. Combining industry expertise with firsthand travel experience across more than 52 countries and five continents, Aaron covers airlines, airports, aviation policy, and the wider travel sector. He is based in Canterbury, New Zealand.
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Breeze Airways continues to develop its niche network of point-to-point flights between secondary airports or unserved markets. The airline will add services to six new destinations in the coming months, with the airline replacing Spirit on a number of routes, while also adding new international destinations in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Utah-based Breeze Airways is another airline developed by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, who also supported the establishment of Azul Linhas Aereas, JetBlue, and WestJet. Breeze operates a fleet of 66 Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
As US ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines collapsed earlier this year, a number of popular leisure routes were left unserved. While some airlines, like JetBlue, were able to establish an extensive network in Fort Lauderdale after Spirit's exit, other carriers have been slowly picking up the pieces left behind by the Florida-based budget airline.
A major gap was left at Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). Breeze has been one airline stepping up here, and is now one of the largest carriers at the airport by destinations served. This coming February, Breeze will reconnect the South Carolina tourist hotspot of Myrtle Beach and Latrobe (LBE) and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) with regular nonstop flights.
Adding to the airline's network will be a nonstop flight from Latrobe to Orlando International Airport (MCO). The airline's reintroduction of flights to Latrobe reestablishes commercial air service at the Pennsylvania airport that otherwise was left abandoned by Spirit.
Montego Bay (MBJ) and Santo Domingo (SDQ) will become the airline's latest international destinations when the airline adds services to these popular vacation hotspots. Breeze will add the nonstop flight from Tampa to Montego Bay in December, followed by Santo Domingo the following June.
These routes from Tampa join the airline's growing international network from the airport, which will see Cancun International Airport (CUN) also join the list this December 18 (not counted in this analysis). A full breakdown of Breeze's international services from Tampa can be seen in the table below.
From December 18 - Previously announced and not counted in this analysis
A notable mention is Breeze's upcoming new service that will connect Tampa to St. Thomas (STT) in the US Virgin Islands. This is not classed as an international flight. Travelers between these two cities can travel without a passport. Breeze will add the new flights to St. Thomas on December 16.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF) is set to gain three new Breeze Airways routes next June/July, as the airline connects the upstate New York city to Charleston (CHS), Myrtle Beach and Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU). All services will begin in time for the peak of summer.
Of these new services from Buffalo, just one will face direct competition. Denver-based Frontier Airlines maintains a seasonal service from Buffalo to Raleigh.