Breeze Airways will begin flying May 27, then expand

Breeze Airways said Friday that it will begin flying May 27 and expand by July to 16 cities, mostly in the Southeast and central U.S.

Breeze, the creation of Jetblue Airways founder David Neeleman, is targeting secondary cities that are largely overlooked or abandoned by bigger carriers. Neeleman says 95 percent of Breeze’s early routes have no other nonstop flights.

Like fellow startup Avelo Airlines, which began flying in late April on the West Coast, Breeze plans to offer low base fares to attract leisure travelers, who are returning from pandemic lockdown faster than business travelers.

Breeze said its first flights will connect Charleston, South Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Hartford, Connecticut. Other destinations will be added each week through July 22, stretching from Providence, Rhode Island, to San Antonio .