Fast Response to Market Alternative
Losing no time in any respect, Breeze Airways has jumped in to fill the hole Avelo will depart behind because it pulls out of a number of West Coast markets later this 12 months. It’s a daring transfer that matches proper in with Breeze’s fast-paced development plans.
Lower than 48 hours after Avelo revealed plans to stop operations at a number of airports by early December, Breeze confirmed it could add service to 4 of the deserted cities, efficient March 2026. This enlargement will mark Breeze’s first foray into the Pacific Northwest and assist the provider transfer nearer to its aim of serving 150 cities by 2030, as outlined by CEO David Neeleman earlier this 12 months.
The brand new locations embrace:
California Redwood Coast-Humboldt County Airport (ACV) | Eureka/Arcata, CA
Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) | Burbank, CA
Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) | Pasco, WA
Eugene Airport (EUG) | Eugene, OR
Redmond Municipal Airport (RDM) | Bend/Redmond, OR
Avelo flights to Eugene and Redmond will finish on 1 December, whereas service to Eureka, Pasco, and Burbank will finish the next day.
Along with choosing up Avelo’s routes, Breeze is introducing three new routes to present markets:
Provo Airport (PVU) to Harry Reid Worldwide Airport (LAS)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Worldwide Airport (MSY) to LAS
MSY to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
Breeze Steps in with New Routes and Frequencies
Breeze’s new West Coast routes will begin in March 2026, with the next schedules:
BUR to RDM: 2x weekly, from 13 March
BUR to PSC: 2x weekly, from 18 March
BUR to ACV: 3x weekly, from 12 March
BUR to EUG: 2x weekly, from 19 March
RDM to LAS: 2x weekly, from 13 March
PVU to BUR: 5x weekly, from 11 March (not a former Avelo route)
These new routes assist Breeze stick with what it does greatest: serving smaller, typically ignored airports. By including locations like Bend, Eugene, and Pasco, the airline is staying true to its low-cost, point-to-point mannequin, providing inexpensive nonstop flights with out the effort of busy, congested hubs.
It’s fascinating to notice that BUR holds some symbolic worth for Avelo because it was dwelling to the airline’s first-ever flight and served as one among its foremost bases. It will likely be fascinating to see if Breeze bolsters its presence at BUR to the purpose the place it may grow to be a base like Avelo had there. Proper now, apart from Provo close to Salt Lake Metropolis (which is near Breeze’s headquarters in Cottonwood Heights), all its crew bases are again east.
Markets Left Behind by Avelo’s Retreat
Whereas Breeze is stepping in to serve most of Avelo’s deserted markets, 4 cities won’t see Breeze service:
Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, CA
Rogue Valley Worldwide Medford Airport (MFR) in Medford, OR
Glacier Park Worldwide Airport (FCA) in Kalispell, MT
Salem-Willamette Valley Airport (SLE) in Portland/Salem, OR
Notably, SLE might be left with out industrial air service altogether. Nevertheless, its proximity to Portland Worldwide Airport (PDX), simply over an hour away, considerably lessens the influence. STS, MFR, and FCA retain service from different carriers and will very properly grow to be a part of Breeze’s route map because it continues to increase its fleet within the years to come back.
In a separate transfer, Breeze has quietly dropped Plattsburgh Worldwide Airport in New York from its listing of locations, suggesting it received’t be returning. Whereas the airline had beforehand referred to as it a “break,” this now seems to be extra like a everlasting exit. The change possible has to do with continued challenges out there, particularly with fewer vacationers crossing the border between the U.S. and Canada. Typically marketed as “Montréal’s US Airport” due to its shut proximity, Plattsburgh is now solely served by Allegiant Air, which flies to Florida, and Contour Airways, which connects to Washington Dulles (IAD).
Fleet Enlargement Fuels Breeze Progress
Breeze’s capacity to grab this chance stems from its ongoing fleet enlargement. The provider presently operates 54 plane, together with 43 Airbus A220-300s and 11 Embraer ERJ 190s, with 46 in energetic service, per planespotters.internet. The A220-300s, with a median age of simply 2.1 years, type the spine of Breeze’s trendy, fuel-efficient fleet. Earlier this 12 months, Breeze mentioned it anticipated to take supply of 16 new A220s by the top of 2025. Seven have already arrived, with 9 extra on the way in which earlier than the top of the 12 months. This regular stream of latest plane offers Breeze the capability to assist further routes and flight frequencies whereas retaining operations environment friendly.
It’s additionally value mentioning that whereas Breeze and Avelo have comparable enterprise fashions in that they don’t provide day by day service on most routes, Breeze sometimes operates fewer flights between metropolis pairs than Avelo did. Moreover, Avelo’s Boeing 737-700s, which it makes use of for its West Coast operation, seat 149 passengers. Breeze’s Airbus A220s are available in barely smaller, with 137 seats.
Nonetheless, we’re certain the affected communities will take wins anyplace they will get them.
The Silver Lining to Avelo’s Pullback
Breeze was fast to pounce after Avelo’s pullback, displaying simply how nimble it may be within the cutthroat low-cost airline sport. By specializing in secondary airports, Breeze sidesteps head-to-head battles with the large carriers and appeals to budget-conscious vacationers who need straightforward, nonstop flights that begin and finish in airports that aren’t the scale of a rustic. Nonetheless, the truth that it omitted a few of Avelo’s soon-to-be-abandoned routes reveals it’s being choosy–and rightfully so. The airline business, in spite of everything, is a enterprise. And it is sensible for airways to decide on markets that higher match their technique or present extra promise.
Founder David Neeleman’s aim of flying to 150 locations by 2030 is lofty, nevertheless it’s not out of attain. Breeze’s rising fleet and its wager on the fuel-efficient A220-300 give it the instruments to maintain prices low and scale up in a method that is sensible.
As Breeze integrates these new routes, we’ll watch carefully to see how the provider balances development with profitability. We by no means wish to see a metropolis lose air service–one thing that has been all too widespread in small– to midsize American cities since 2020. But when there’s a silver lining in Avelo’s West Coast retreat, it’s that almost all of its former passengers could have a brand new low-cost choice because of Breeze Airways.
