Breeze Airways (MX, Salt Lake City) is planning to operate transatlantic flights to Europe by autumn 2025, while also looking to increase its footprint on the United States West Coast and reach Hawai’i, chief executive David Neeleman said in an interview with Airline Geeks.
He identified Ireland and the United Kingdom as the most likely destinations across the Atlantic. Breeze is also exploring international destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, such as Cancún. Neeleman said these could offset the seasonality of European routes. “So maybe we will fly Cancún all winter and Ireland all summer,” he explained.
However, the airline’s plans to serve Europe and Hawai’i hinge on obtaining Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) certification for the airline's fleet of A220-300s. While flights to Europe are technically possible without such authorisation, using the circuitous northerly route, Hawai'i can only be served from the mainland with an ETOPS-approved aircraft.
The airline is currently seeking flag carrier status from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a designation required to secure international traffic rights. Earlier this year, Breeze anticipated receiving the designation in time for the Winter 2024/2025 season. According to the latest timeline, the carrier aims to begin international operations by autumn 2025.
In a statement to ch-aviation, a spokesperson for Breeze said: "Flag status and ETOPS will happen sequentially, so we hope to have an update on the former in the first half of 2025 and ETOPS sometime thereafter." They added that the company is currently looking at several potential routes when those are approved, "however, nothing is set in stone yet. Until then, we’re focused on maintaining steady growth in the markets we already serve."
Breeze Airways currently operates a fleet of 48 aircraft, including thirty-five ACV!220300s, ten E190s, and three E195s on an exclusively domestic network.
