Four years ago, Breeze Airways was a brand-new startup airline. Early next year, it will fly outside the United States for the first time.
In a long-awaited announcement Thursday, Breeze revealed it secured regulatory approval to launch international service.
With that, the low-cost carrier unveiled plans to launch more than a half dozen flights to new warm-weather destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
It’s a milestone for the Salt Lake City-based airline — one that executives, for well over a year, had told TPG was on the horizon.
As part of Breeze’s transborder expansion, the airline will connect four U.S. cities to the Mexican beach destination of Cancun: Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans; Norfolk, Virginia; and Providence, Rhode Island.
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The airline will fly to Jamaica from two Southeast airports, and will further link one of those airports with Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.
All told, it’s a seven-route international expansion for the carrier. On each of the routes, the airline will provide nonstop flights to tropical destinations during the colder winter months.
Breeze’s 7 new international routes
Here’s the full rundown:
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| Route | Launch date | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston International Airport (CHS) in South Carolina to Cancun International Airport (CUN) | Jan. 17 | Once weekly on Saturdays (seasonal) |
| Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) to Cancun | Feb. 7 | Once weekly on Saturdays (seasonal) |
| Norfolk International Airport (ORF) to Cancun | Jan. 10 | Once weekly on Saturdays (seasonal) |
| Providence’s Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) to Cancun | Feb. 14 | Once weekly on Saturdays (seasonal) |
| Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Sangster International Airport (MBJ) in Montego Bay, Jamaica | March 5 | Twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays (seasonal) |
| RDU to Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic | March 4 | Twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays (seasonal) |
| Tampa International Airport (TPA) to Montego Bay | Feb. 11 | Twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays |
Deepening its position in North Carolina
North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) was the biggest winner in Thursday’s announcement, with a pair of new international destinations.
That reveal came just over a week after the fast-growing East Coast airport gained nonstop service to Ireland via Aer Lingus.
Breeze already operates more than two dozen routes out of RDU — a hub of sorts that will become an official crew base for the airline in early 2026, the carrier announced Thursday.
The move will bring some 200 pilot and flight attendant jobs to North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
Adding RDU will give Breeze a dozen crew bases across its network.
Future international growth expected
Expect Thursday’s seven-route international expansion to be just the start for Breeze.
After recently gaining flag carrier status from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the airline is eyeing a more robust international network in the near future, with its growing fleet of Airbus A220s.
“These are a lot of the biggest destinations, internationally, from a lot of our bases down on the East Coast,” Breeze Chief Commercial Officer Lukas Johnson told TPG.”So [we’ll] start with a couple of the most popular destinations and look to expand from there.”
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What to expect on Breeze Airways
Breeze, launched in 2021 by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, will use its new Airbus A220s on its international routes.
While the airline is a low-cost carrier, its A220s do feature a dozen domestic first class-style recliners up front, along with 45 extra-legroom seats — complementing 80 standard seats in coach.
The carrier offers four fare tiers:
- No Flex, which is the classic stripped-down, budget airline fare with no seat selection or baggage allowed
- Nice, which comes with a full-size carry-on bag
- Nicer, which includes a checked bag and a carry-on bag — and access to an extra-legroom seat
- Nicest, which includes two checked bags, a carry-on bag and a first-class Ascent seat
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