New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Breeze Airways to add nonstop Bradley routes
WINDSOR LOCKS — Breeze Airways announced Tuesday that it would launch in May nonstop routes from Bradley International Airport to Fort Myers and Tampa in Florida and New Orleans, as well as a one-stop route to Los Angeles.
The new routes highlight Breeze’s ongoing expansion at Connecticut’s flagship airport, with the startup airline announcing in February 2022 that Windsor Locks-based Bradley would become one of its hubs. It plans to create more than 200 jobs in the state and could receive a state grant of up to $1.26 million if it meets its hiring goals.
“Here we grow again,” David Neeleman, Breeze’s founder and chief executive officer, said in a written statement. “We always look for routes that people are traveling today but can’t get there nonstop. Hartford residents can now get to Florida and Louisiana twice as fast, for about half the price!”
The Fort Myers route will start on May 17, with service on Wednesday and Saturday. Flights to Tampa will begin on May 18 and operate on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Flights to New Orleans will commence on May 19 and operate on Monday and Friday. The one-stop, same-plane service to Los Angeles will start on May 17 and run daily. The new nonstop routes are on sale at introductory fares starting at $39 one way.
From Bradley, Breeze also operates nonstop flights to Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas; Norfolk, Va.; Phoenix; Pittsburgh; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.; Savannah, Ga., and Vero Beach, Fla. This month marks the launch of the flights to Phoenix, Raleigh-Durham and Vero Beach.
In total, the Salt Lake City-headquartered Breeze offers 143 nonstop routes between 35 cities, across 21 states.
The expansion of Breeze, alongside other airlines’ new routes, has underpinned Bradley’s recovery from the fall-off in air travel in 2020, during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of about 5.8 million passengers passed through Bradley in 2022 — up about 25 percent from 2021, but still down 14 percent from 2019.
Bradley will be further boosted with the resumption next month of Aer Lingus flights to Dublin. “As Breeze continues to expand their national network, we welcome their growth at Bradley International Airport,” Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, which owns and operates Bradley, said in a written statement. “As the airline’s base, we appreciate their investment in our region and are grateful for their support of our vision to make travel out of Bradley International Airport even more convenient.”