New Airline Breeze Airways Coming to Norfolk

A startup launched by the founder of low-cost airline JetBlue is bringing cheap nonstop flights to Norfolk International Airport starting in June.

Salt Lake City-based Breeze Airways, founded by David Neeleman, is launching with seven routes from Norfolk for leisure travelers starting as low as $39 each way, the company announced Friday morning.

Flights start June 10 to Charleston, South Carolina, and Tampa. A New Orleans route starts July 15 and flights to Columbus, Ohio; Hartford, Connecticut; and Pittsburgh start July 22. Flights to Providence, Rhode Island, start on July 29.

Norfolk is one of four main airports for Breeze, which is debuting with 39 nonstop routes between 16 cities, the company said.

Breeze plans to invest $5.2 million at Norfolk International Airport, where it will establish a flight crew base and a maintenance base and create 116 jobs, Gov. Ralph Northam and the Norfolk Airport Authority announced.

Breeze plans to bring routes to Richmond in July, Neeleman said. The plan is to grow with another 100 cities under consideration, particularly as the coronavirus pandemic created opportunity as airlines had reduced flights to smaller cities, he said.

“Aviation has long been ingrained in the Hampton Roads economy, and the arrival of Breeze Airways is another sign of this region’s growing position as a commercial flight hub,” Northam said in the announcement. “The post-pandemic world will offer increasing opportunities for travel and tourism, and the addition of this new low-cost carrier at Norfolk International Airport will be a catalyst for economic growth, welcoming visitors to our Commonwealth with convenient, nonstop service to often overlooked markets. We are honored that Breeze Airways has selected Virginia as one of its first domestic locations and look forward to building a strong and successful partnership with the company.”

Northam approved a $400,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund for the project, according to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The company is eligible to receive benefits from the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit based on full-time jobs created.

While Breeze had been working to offer flights since before the pandemic, the launch of its routes comes at a time of pent-up demand from travelers who had been restricted during COVID but now are getting vaccinated and want to experience new places, Neeleman said. Breeze also expects to generate more traffic because affordability fuels demand, he said.

“We’re trying to find these communities that have attractive locations people want to visit and that are not easy to get to,” Neeleman said.

It’s always been hard for the larger airlines to serve smaller cities without regional jets that can do point to point flying, he said, when it’s easier for them to fly passengers to hubs for layovers and then to their destinations. The company said 95% of the Breeze’s announced routes don’t have airlines offering nonstop service.

The airline is using a larger version of regional jets that can seat 108-118 people versus 50-70 passengers, he said. Two seats are on either side of the aisle, meaning no middle seat.

Breeze targets routes that are more than 300 miles away or would take passengers more than seven or eight hours to drive. Plans don’t call for helping folks get from Norfolk to Washington, D.C., he said.

Neeleman is marketing Breeze as the “Seriously Nice” U.S. carrier with an expectation of taking care of people. Breeze is the entrepreneur’s fifth airline startup after JetBlue, Brazil’s Azul, Canada’s WestJet and Utah-based Morris Air, which was acquired by Southwest Airlines.

“We’re excited to be there,” Neeleman said. “I think it’s going to be great for the economy and for people to visit.”

The Norfolk Economic Development Authority and VisitNorfolk are planning to work together to commit $100,000 through in-kind marketing of the Norfolk region to Breeze’s targeted cities, Norfolk Economic Development Director Jared Chalk said.

The addition of flights from Norfolk will help in economic development efforts, Chalk said. Particularly as the world transitions to remote work, the importance of access to talent and mid-sized cities increases. The airport, Hampton Roads Alliance, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, VisitNorfolk and Virginia Tourism Corp. all worked together to keep Breeze’s interest, he said. Chalk said Breeze’s service also markets the region to other airlines.

“I think this validates we’re an untapped market,” Chalk said. “I think the experience that their executive team has in airlines shows the opportunity in Norfolk and I think you’ll see more investment.”

For more information, visit Flybreeze.com.

Tara Bozick, 757-247-4741, [email protected]

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