JetBlue Founder Is Launching Breeze, a New Airline, in 2021

Starting a new domestic airline during a pandemic that’s grounded or nearly bankrupted the entire air travel industry?

It’s a breeze. Or actually, it’s Breeze Airways, a new venture from JetBlue founder David Neeleman, scheduled to lift off in 2021.

To be fair, Neeleman announced the new airline back in 2018 and planned to start flights this year. Formerly known (unofficially) as “Moxy,” the new airline features Embraer 190s & 195s leased from Brazil’s Azul airline — also founded by Neeleman — and soon up to 60 Airbus A220-300s. Though nothing’s official, Breeze will reportedly fly from airports in the south and southeast to various points in the northeast, southeast, and southern plains, according to the travel site One Mile at at Time.

“JetBlue Founder Offers Details About His Airline, Including Its Name”
“They are separate missions…one is an apple and one is an orange,” Neeleman said, “Those planes will never fly on the same route. They won’t be in the same universe, really.” @skift https://t.co/OMWvnJA3sK pic.twitter.com/YhIm00xBRB
— Breeze Airways (@BreezeAirways) February 21, 2020

While the idea is to fly nonstop service between underserved cities with a “hybrid low-cost, high-service approach” (while also being the “world’s nicest airline”) on-going COVID-19 concerns mean all of Breeze’s initial plans have been pushed back — although the new filing with the Department of Transportation suggests that Breeze will launch next year no matter what.

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Kirk Miller

Kirk Miller is InsideHook’s Senior Lifestyle Editor (and longest-serving resident). He writes a lot about whisk(e)y, cocktails, consumer goods and artificial intelligence.