Sept. 25 (UPI) — Breeze Airlines will begin offering international flights to the Caribbean, which makes it the first U.S. airline in over 10 years to get Federal Aviation Administration approval for overseas trips.
The startup has been in business for five years and will begin trips to sunny destinations beginning in January. The flights will be to Cancun, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
The international flights will leave from Norfolk, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; New Orleans, La.; Providence, R.I.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Tampa, Fla., and they will only be on Saturdays.
Breeze was founded by David Neeleman, JetBlue founder, in 2021. The airline now serves 81 cities, with 291 non-stop routes.
“We picked places that have all-inclusive resorts because people like to go on Saturday and fly back (the following) Saturday. It’s a good complement to what we’re doing already,” Neeleman told USA Today. He said the airline has peak traffic on its other routes on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays. That leaves spare capacity to fly to resort destinations on Saturdays.
Neeleman said Breeze service will be the same for international fliers.
“We’re excited to be able to fly people out of the country,” he said. “You can expect the same great service and the same great airplanes on international, and I think it’s going to be a big hit with our guests.”
The airline also announced it has been certified by the FAA as a U.S. Flag Carrier. That means Breeze can take cargo and passengers whose travel is funded by the federal government.
“Becoming a U.S. flag carrier is a huge milestone for Breeze, and one that our team members have been working tirelessly on for the last three years,” Neeleman said.