Breeze pares its schedule in first major adjustment since its launch
Breeze Airways, the new airline by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, cut several routes and reduced frequencies on several others this week, less than two months after the airline began flying in late May.
The changes were first spotted by Twitter user @IshrionA.
The most affected markets appear to be Norfolk, VA (ORF) and Charleston, SC (CHS).
Five routes from Norfolk have been cut immediately for this week and part of next week, before resuming by the end of next week, some at a reduced frequency. Those routes are:
- Norfolk-Hartford, Connecticut (BDL)
- Norfolk-Charleston
- Norfolk-Columbus, Ohio (CMH)
- Norfolk-Pittsburgh (PIT)
- Norfolk-Tampa, Florida (TPA)
The following routes will see frequency reductions, dropping from four weekly flights to two:
- San Antonio, Texas (SAT)-Oklahoma City (OKC)
- San Antonio-Tulsa, Oklahoma (TUL)
- San Antonio-Fayetteville, Arkansas (XNA)
- Huntsville, Alabama (HSV)-Tampa
- Huntsville-New Orleans (MSY)
- Huntsville-Charleston
- Columbus-Charleston
- Columbus-Norfolk
- Pittsburgh-Norfolk
- Pittsburgh-Charleston
- Richmond, Virginia (RIC)-Charleston
- Louisville, Kentucky (SDF)-Charleston
- Norfolk-Charleston
Breeze, which was previously known by its codename, "Moxy," was first announced by Neeleman in 2018. The airline began service in May 2021 following several months of delays.
The carrier was launched with a plan to focus on point-to-point routes between small, underserved cities. Eschewing hubs, and generally avoiding competition, Neeleman — who also founded Brazilian airline Azul and was previously a co-owner of TAP Portugal — has said the idea is to run a low-cost, nimble operation connecting city pairs that might not come top of mind.
Neeleman has previously suggested that this nimbleness would allow Breeze to rapidly adjust its schedule and try new routes based on demand and booking trends.
The downside, of course, is that passengers booking far ahead of time could see their flights changed or even canceled. At press time, Breeze had placed a notice on its website advising passengers to check their reservations in case of schedule changes.
Judging from this first round of frequency reductions, Breeze does indeed plan to follow Neeleman's plan and adjust things on the fly.
A spokesperson for Breeze did not immediately return a request for comment.