Breeze Airways, a new US-based carrier, has launched with a planned fleet of 13 Embraer jets. The first flights operate new point-to-point routes in underserved markets, initially targeting Charleston, Tampa and Hartford, starting May 27, with further destinations to be added each week through July 2021. Breeze will take delivery of all 13 leased jets during summer 2021, to reach an initial fleet of 10 E190s and three E195s, with plans to grow the fleet further before the end of the year.
The airline’s founder, David Neeleman, has a strong record in aviation, having also founded JetBlue, WestJet, Morris Air and Azul airlines. His aim for Breeze is for its to offer a ‘Seriously Nice’ experience, with low fares and high flexibility, serving destinations from four main airports: Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Norfolk, Virginia.
Neeleman is confident in his choice of Embraer jets. “Embraer’s E-Jets are phenomenal at building out new airlines, and growing and supporting new routes. They are the masters at doing this, as proven by my previous airline ventures – and, no middle seats! The flexibility the family of aircraft provides, allows us to meet fluctuating demand profitably – exactly what all airlines need right now. Having the E-Jets as a core part of our team gives me enormous confidence,” said the CEO.
The E190 jets will be configured to seat 108 guests, while the E195 aircraft will have 118 seats.
Breeze Airways has selected Anuvu to provide wireless IFE (W-IFE) services on its E195 and E190 fleets, with the provider receiving the STC for its Airtime IFE Pro hardware from the FAA in early May. The deal includes all hardware, the Airtime passenger portal, content service provision via the recently announced Iris, and other applications.
Nancy Walker, SVP for connectivity at Anuvu stated, “Breeze is a technology-driven airline and we are proud to be providing flexible products that deliver a great passenger experience. Iris’ low-cost and simple pricing model enables Breeze to dynamically change its offering every month, giving passenger access to new and exciting content, while Airconnect IFE Pro is a cost-effective platform which allows passengers to stream that content directly to their own devices. Using our full suite of products, Breeze was able to realize the promise of a full-package solution from a single provider as it manoeuvred through the challenges of launching an airline during a pandemic.”
Earlier this month Breeze signed a long-term Pool Program Agreement with Embraer to support a wide range of repairable components for the airline’s E190s and E195s. The agreement includes full repair coverage for components and parts, as well as access to a large stock of components at Embraer’s distribution centre.
