PROVIDENCE – Breeze Airways on Tuesday announced two additional cities will be serviced from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport in early 2023.
Beginning on Feb. 17, nonstop flights will be available from T.F. Green to Raleigh-Durham, N.C., as well as one-stop flights to New Orleans, La., according to the airline.
Fares on the nonstop route start from $49 one-way if purchased by Nov. 21, for travel by May 16, 2023. Flights will be available twice per week, on Friday and Mondays.
“Breeze always looks for underserved routes where we can add nonstop flights, low fares and our brand of Seriously Nice service,” said Breeze Airways president Tom Doxey in Tuesday’s announcement.
The move is part of an ongoing expansion underway for the budget-friendly airline launched by JetBlue founder, David Neeleman, in May 2021. The addition of Raleigh–Durham International Airport marks the airline’s 35th destination.
Breeze Airways now offers 106 nonstop routes between 35 cities in 20 states nationwide. The airline is planning to install a permanent base of operations at T.F. Green in 2023, the first of its kind in the state, thanks in part to a $2.9 million 10-year tax-credit agreement approved by R.I. Commerce Corp., part of the Qualified Jobs Incentive program created to expand the workforces of companies doing business in Rhode Island.
The airline has said it plans to increase its T.F Green network to at least 20 routes, operating some 20 weekly departures by the end of 2023.
As part of its hub at T.F. Green, Breeze plans to house between six and eight aircraft there and create up to 250 jobs.
Breeze spokesperson Gareth Edmondson-Jones said on Tuesday that outbound flights from T.F. Green to Raleigh-Durham destined for New Orleans will not include a plane change. Rather, there will be a 35-minute interim before planes take off again to New Orleans as part of the company’s so-called “BreezeThru” service.
“It will still be the fastest and cheapest way to get [to New Orleans],” he said.
Breeze is still planning direct flights to Los Angeles in the spring of 2023, said Edmonson-Jones.
(Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com)
