Breeze Airways has received final approval from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airline stated it received its Air Carrier Certificate on May 14th. However, the airline remains quiet on where it will fly as the summer season closes in fast.
Breeze Airways cleared for takeoff
The United States government has indicated that Breeze Airways is ready to go for launching flights. With an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), the airline can engage in interstate air transport of passengers and cargo. It has, however, not revealed many details.
Receiving an AOC is a major milestone for new airline startups. Receiving federal approval is not always guaranteed, nor is it easy. Breeze has spent the last few years getting everything to receive government approval.
No other news on routes
When it comes to routes and services, very little is actually known about the airline. So far, the few details that have come out are that the airline wants to start flying between Tampa and Charleston.
Aside from that route, the carrier will be flying 49 nonstop routes. In addition, it will start flying out of 15 cities, including Nashville, New Orleans, and Pittsburgh, with a focus on connecting the Rust Belt with the Sun Belt.
There is no indication of what Breeze’s frequencies or schedules will look like, nor beyond those 49 routes, what more the airline will be servicing. However, according to CEO David Neeleman, the airline will serve mostly underserved routes. Almost 80% of the carrier’s nonstop routes will have no competition.
Summer is almost here
Summer travel is starting to appear. Travel will pick up, and the summer season will begin in earnest from around May 27th, ahead of the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. Memorial Day weekend is only around two weeks away.
This could be the week when Breeze Airways announces some details about the new routes and services. However, when those flights go on sale is a different story. It is possible that Breeze Airways could still benefit from the Memorial Day weekend, though it will not have as much time to sell tickets and fill its planes.
Why the delay?
The one thing that could benefit Breeze Airways is the booking curve. The curve is significantly compressed, and most passengers are booking travel only a few weeks out. As such, Breeze Airways may be able to get away with launching flights in a couple of weeks and make them a success.
Another aspect is whether Breeze Airways has the right staffing to launch flights. The airline’s job listings show openings for flight attendants, first officers, engineers, maintenance technicians, and some other administrative positions.
Breeze may want to do some more hiring before it launches flights. Being understaffed can lead to operations nightmares. Delta, which has suffered from some crew shortages, has seen some operations meltdowns around major holidays.
Breeze Airways is a hotly anticipated startup, though it is taking its time to launch operations. The summer season is fast approaching, and Breeze Airways is in a bit of a time crunch to launch operations ahead of the busiest travel season in the US.
Are you going to fly Breeze after they launch? Let us know in the comments!