Breeze Airways CEO: “We Have to Be Successful to Stick Around”

Breeze Airways is starting its operations in Huntsville International Airport by next week. Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman is experienced in the aviation industry. He has founded the likes of Azul Brazilian Airlines, Morris Air, West Jet, and JetBlue. This makes Breeze Airways Neeleman’s fifth airline startup.

Breeze Airways presents its tagline “Low Fare, High Flex and flies to and from 16 cities. For Neeleman, this is just the start for the airline. He said that “The effects of the COVID19 pandemic on the nation’s air service have meant many secondary and tertiary markets have seen a significant reduction in flights”. He added that this is an opportunity for them since “There are so many city pairs needing nonstop service around the country”. The airline is currently considering 100 cities.

Breeze Airways will be using Embraer E190 jets. This will cater to 108 people flying from Huntsville to Charleston, New Orleans, and Tampa. Embraer’s 175s are known for smaller markets. Neeleman said that “So, these are just a longer and bigger version, which gives us more efficiency and allows us to lower the fares”.

The introductory rate is $39. Plus, the airline will also not charge if you want to cancel or change flights.

Success is a Must

The Breeze Airways CEO is aware of how difficult it is to start an airline, especially during the pandemic. He said that “We have to be successful to stick around”.

Neeleman chose Huntsville after seeing the economic vitality of the city. He saw the defense contractors and then decided that it looks like a good place to start Breeze Airways. As for the destinations, Breeze Airways originally offers leisure destinations more than business. It does make sense since the airline started during the pandemic and business travel hasn’t recovered yet. Neeleman said that “I think it’s kind of like they’ve figured out how to not travel for business”.

However, the Breeze Airways CEO agrees with United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby for saying that business travel “is not transactional”. Rather, it is “about relationships”.