Breeze Airways Makes Big Announcement in Rhode Island
CEO and Founder of Breeze Airways David Neeleman joined by Governor Dan McKee, Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Iftikhar Ahmad, RIAC CEO to celebrate the major expansion of additional flight routes, jobs, and annual passengers over the next five years for T.F. Green International Airport.
“What a day as we continue to grow Breeze’s base of operations at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, which has essentially already been doubling in size each year,” said Neeleman this morning.
“We are so grateful to Governor McKee, the Speaker, Senate President, and General Assembly, and to Iftikhar Ahmad (President and CEO of Rhode Island Corporation), and the whole team at the Rhode Island Airport Corporation for the support from day one for helping make this happen and, of course, to the traveling public here in Rhode Island who have embraced Breeze’s growth and made us part of the community.”
Neeleman also announced Wednesday that T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) will become the carrier’s largest airport by capacity and departures, with consistent growth over the next five year. It will surpass Charleston, S.C. as Breeze’s number one airport by the end of this year.
“Providence is interested in having flights out west and in having international flights.” He said the Airbus A220, which will become the only aircraft in the fleet, can fly to Iceland and Ireland from Providence. Other international possibilities include Canada and the Caribbean.
“It’s a great place, an underserved market, obviously close to Boston, where you have some catchment area,” Neeleman said. “I think sometimes when you have a big airport like Boston with a lot of service, and you have another airport nearby, airports like Providence get left out.”
Breeze Airways first landed at T.F. Green in 2021 offering flights to three U.S. cities, now offers 120 flights a week to 18 domestic destinations. Under the new expansion plan, Breeze will have 200 weekly nonstop flights to 35 destinations by 2029.
That includes the three flights to international destinations yet to be named and seven domestic flights west of the Mississippi River, according to a news release from the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC).
Breeze’s expansion comes one week after the airline launched nonstop flight service from Rhode Island to Denver.
Governor Dan McKee said Breeze’s latest commitment to Rhode Island “will bring in more economic activity, better-paying jobs, more routes, more visitors, and help set Rhode Island up as a true destination state.”
“Breeze Airways’ exceptional performance at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a wonderful success story, not just for the airline, but for Rhode Island and all of Southern New England,” said RIAC CEO Iftikhar Ahmad.
