Breeze Airways Challenges Avelo Airlines With New Routes From New Haven

Breeze Airways is poised to disrupt the regional air travel market with its latest expansion from Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN), set to begin by the end of 2024. This move marks Breeze’s entry into a market currently dominated by Avelo Airlines, intensifying competition at this key East Coast hub.

Starting December 10, Breeze will launch 10 new nonstop routes from HVN. The new destinations include popular Florida locations such as Fort Myers, Orlando, Vero Beach, and West Palm Beach, as well as Charleston, Jacksonville, Norfolk, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, and Sarasota/Bradenton. Additionally, Breeze will offer a “thru service” to New Orleans. This strategic expansion places Breeze directly in competition with Avelo on six of these new routes, as revealed by OAG Schedules Analyser data.

Lukas Johnson, Breeze’s Chief Commercial Officer, emphasizes the strategic importance of this move: “From ‘day one,’ our playbook has included significant growth across the Northeast region of the U.S. due to the high population density and limited nonstop travel options. Our unique model of air service has been a game-changer for this area of the country.”

Avelo Airlines, which currently operates 26 routes from HVN using a fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft, offers about 16,300 weekly departure seats. Recently, Avelo announced plans to add a new 2X-weekly nonstop route to New Orleans starting November 14 and to increase its service to Puerto Rico, with four weekly flights to San Juan.

Breeze, which is transitioning to an all-Airbus A220-300 fleet, already serves Hartford Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Connecticut, operating from there to 18 destinations. The addition of HVN will expand Breeze’s footprint to eight points in New England.

This new rivalry at HVN follows Avelo’s recent announcement to start service from BDL this fall, where it will base two aircraft and launch seven new routes, including its first international services to Cancun, Mexico, and Montego Bay, Jamaica. In response, Breeze has also confirmed plans to further expand its network from BDL and is preparing to introduce international flights pending government approval in the coming months. This intensifying competition between Breeze and Avelo signals a dynamic shift in the Northeast air travel landscape, offering travelers more options and competitive fares.