JetBlue Founder Hopes New Airline is a Breeze

If all goes well, America’s newest budget airline will be a breeze.

Or, actually, it will be Breeze.

David Neeleman, who knows a thing or two about starting a successful airline, is set to introduce Breeze Airways as early as this year.

The new venture will serve mid-size U.S. airports and cities that don’t normally operate many direct flights.

“20 years ago, we brought humanity back to the airline industry with JetBlue,” Neeleman said in a statement. “Today, we’re excited to introduce plans for ‘the World’s Nicest Airline’.”

Neeleman has known nothing but success when it comes to starting airlines. He founded JetBlue, Canada’s WestJet, Brazil’s Azul, and another Utah-based carrier Morris Air (now operated by Southwest).

Breeze, which was originally called “Moxy” during its development stage, will be based in Salt Lake City and has already submitted its application for operations with the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation.

Routes have not been announced yet but Neeleman is convinced his strategy of using airports “that bigger airlines overlook” is the way to go.

“I would be very surprised if a single [Breeze] route had non-stop service competition. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of city pairs that are crying out for non-stop flights,” Neeleman said.