Breeze Airways plans to more than double its footprint within 10 years.
On April 3, 2025, at the Center for Aviation (CAPA) Airline Leaders Summit held in Dublin, Ireland, Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman took the stage as a keynote speaker and was joined by APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) Global CEO Dr. We had a candid conversation with Joe Leader. Their conversation discussed innovation, strategic change, and reorienting the airline industry toward traveler priorities. Neeleman’s insights provided deep insight into Breeze’s founding philosophy and the path forward for Breeze as a five-year-old Utah-based airline. Here’s how Neeleman is adapting Breeze to connect underserved communities with a modern, passenger-centric approach.
Mission to serve the underprivileged
Neeleman, founder of JetBlue, Azul, WestJet and the Morris Air family of airlines, built Breeze based on lessons learned from past ventures. He founded Breeze Airways to serve travelers in markets bypassed by others.
“I’ve dedicated my life to making flying better for people who don’t live in big cities,” Neeleman said. “With Breeze, we can finally connect these dots with non-stop service, great aircraft, and a simple, affordable experience.”
Breeze differentiates itself from traditional and most low-cost airlines (Avelo Airlines’ model is very similar) by targeting unserved or underserved routes.
“We knew from the beginning that we didn’t want to be just another airline trying to enter a crowded market,” Neeleman emphasized. “We wanted to get to places where people felt neglected and needed: cities where the only options were a long drive to a larger airport or a connecting flight for hours through a hub.”
Routes from Erie, Pennsylvania (ERI) to Tampa (TPA), Ogdensburg, New York (OGS) to Washington Dulles (IAD), or Charleston, South Carolina (CHS) to Los Angeles (LAX) are good examples of this approach. By focusing on point-to-point flights, Breeze saves passengers the wait times and hassle of crowded terminals and provides convenience to long-underserved communities.
Airbus A220: the heart of the Breeze Airways fleet
Central to Breeze’s strategy is its fleet, dominated by the Airbus A220-300. As of May 2026, Breeze operates a fleet of 66 aircraft, primarily A220-300s, with the Embraer 190s mostly diverted from scheduled service (mainly retained for charter or back-up).
Breeze’s A220-300 aircraft features two different layouts. The standard seats 137 passengers in a 2-3 configuration, with 12 premium “Ascent” seats up front in a 2-2 layout. The more premium version can accommodate 36 Ascent seats and a total of 126 passengers.
Neeleman remains clear about the A220’s role. “The A220 allows us to fly efficiently from coast to coast with a better in-flight experience than any other aircraft in its class,” he said. “It’s quiet, fuel efficient, and passengers love the cabin layout.”
Ascent seating reduces just one seat per row, allowing Breeze to deliver a first-class product on an ultra-low cost carrier (ULCC) budget. With dozens of A220s on order and a steady stream of deliveries, Neeleman sees endless possibilities.
“Every time we offer service, the map of non-stop flying expands,” he said.
The transition to an all A220 scheduled fleet has streamlined operations on long-haul routes, such as transcontinental flights, while keeping costs low and comfort high.
Digital Transformation: Mobile-First Airlines
Breeze balances low rates and great experiences through top-to-bottom design and “mobile-first infrastructure.” As Neeleman puts it, “We built the airline around the idea that your phone is your boarding pass, check-in agent, and help desk. We didn’t want long lines, printed itineraries, or call center wait times.” The Breeze app is your hub for booking, checking in, managing flights and accessing support, streamlining every step for passengers. By eliminating call centers and paper-based processes, Breeze helps teams prioritize meaningful interactions with travelers.
Smart automation further improves efficiency. “We use automation to solve tasks that machines can handle, so our employees can focus on what’s important,” Neeleman explained.
The Breeze system proactively identifies and resolves problems before they disrupt passengers. This digital foundation, combined with gate-to-gate Viasat Wi-Fi on the A220, keeps travelers connected and comfortable. This is how Breeze delivers a premium feel at ULCC prices. This is a hallmark of the Breeze approach.
Thoughtful growth and employee ownership
Neeleman emphasized that Breeze has expanded intentionally to “protect credibility and employee morale.” He described the airline’s growth as “thoughtful”, fostering a culture where employees feel like owners. “Ownership makes a big difference,” he said. By keeping operations lean and proactive, Breeze aims to resolve issues before they escalate and maintain both passenger satisfaction and employee morale.
Going forward, Neeleman expects Breeze to maintain a steady and measured approach, serving 150 cities by 2030. “There are still too many places in the United States that don’t have nonstop service, and this is just the beginning,” he said.
Breeze has since expanded internationally, launching service to destinations in Mexico (such as Cancun), the Caribbean (including Punta Cana and Montego Bay), the Bahamas (Nassau), and Costa Rica (San Jose). Azul’s interline partnership with Brazilian Airlines continues to connect Breeze’s domestic routes with Azul’s Brazilian network, making travel to secondary cities in both countries easier. “It’s a natural fit,” Neeleman said. “We are connecting the dots between two airlines that share the same DNA: great service, great people, and non-stop routes that no other airline flies.”
Doing more of the same, better.
When Leader asked what Breeze would look like by 2030, Neeleman’s answer was simple. The point is that you can get better results than the same thing. Breeze will use the Airbus A220 to expand its U.S. network to serve more underserved markets with unmet demand. Although international growth is currently underway and accelerating, the core focus remains on eliminating travel hassles for passengers.
“We built Breeze to eliminate hassle, reduce connections, and let people fly the way they’ve always wanted,” Neeleman concluded. “The mission will not change. It will only grow.”
In an age when the phrase “low-cost airline” can be a bit questionable…Breeze’s journey represents strategic innovation at its finest.
Innovation doesn’t always mean flashy new technology or crowded hubs. For Breeze, it’s simply about connecting the dots that others don’t see and treating guests like humans, not numbers.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on April 14, 2025, and was updated with the latest vehicle, route and network information in May 2026.
