David Neeleman, the founder of US airline JetBlue and Canadian airline WestJet, announced that he wanted to launch a new low-cost airline by the end of 2020.
Nearly 20 years after JetBlue Airways’ first flight, the founder of the New York-based carrier has applied to the Department of Transport to operate a new airline called Breeze Airways, David Neeleman told the American TV channel CNBC. Initially, the name of the airline was intended to be Moxy Airways.
This new American carrier would focus on the leisure segment, initially with second-hand Embraer 195 aircraft sublet from another airline that David Neeleman founded, the Brazilian Azul. Breeze Airways could later operate the Airbus A220s ordered by the parent company, whose deliveries are expected in April 2021.
Breeze Airways will launch operations initially from Salt Lake City (Utah) International Airport, with further expansion planned.
Breeze aims to become “the most beautiful airline in the world” and will focus on medium-sized cities “abandoned by our current air transport network“, said the management of JetBlue.
“We are going to fly where no one else flies,” said David Neeleman, adding that he was planning routes on “500 city pairs.” Passengers would bypass the large hubs to connect.
Breeze Airways has applied for an air operator’s certificate (AOC) from the American regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
