Passengers in smaller US cities excited about fresh Breeze

The announcement that the airline formerly known as Moxy plans to launch this year as Breeze Airways has been well received by the residents of the underserved US cities it intends to target. The airline is backed by JetBlue, WestJet and Azul founder David Neeleman and hopes to be flying by year-end and is in the process of applying for its air operator’s certificate. Based in Utah’s Salt Lake City, it will target mid-sized US city pairs that have no nonstop service with “low-fares, high-quality nonstop flights” and promises new consumer technology innovations. READ: Denver's new United gates herald big capacity boost. This includes an Uber-like app that allows passengers to book a flight without ever contacting a call center. The idea, according to the airline, is to improve the flying experience while saving travelers both time and money. It is being touted as an alternative to the mega-hubs set up by mainline carriers which force passengers from smaller cities to take time-consuming connecting flights.

“Breeze will fly non-stop service between places currently without meaningful or affordable service,” Neeleman, who is president and chief executive, said on Facebook. “Twenty years ago, we brought humanity back to the airline industry with JetBlue. Today, we’re excited to introduce plans for ‘the World’s Nicest Airline’.” The new carrier has ordered 60 new Airbus 220-300 aircraft which will start arriving from April 2021. It has also leased 30 Embraer 195 aircraft from Azul which will start arriving in May and will be used to launch the carrier. Both aircraft are well-suited to the markets Breeze intends to serve, offering a combination of efficiency and passenger comfort. Azul has plenty of experience operating the E195 that it can pass on to the new start-up and needed a home for the aircraft as it replaces them with next-generation E195-E2s. Breeze also plans to use the planes for aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) charters to customers such as corporations and sporting teams. Joining Neeleman are two senior executives from Allegiant: Lukas Johnson and Trent Porter. Porter is the start-up’s chief financial officer while Johnson is its chief commercial officer. Neeleman told US media that a sharp focus on efficiency will be a hallmark of the new airline with as little as 50 or 60 employees per aircraft, compared to more than 100 at traditional airlines. One problem for Breeze will be sorting through the many smaller cities clamoring for its services. And judging from the reaction on social media, there will be no shortage of applicants.