Startup airline Breeze just announced a new East Coast base, setting the stage for a battle with New Haven-based rival upstart Avelo

• Breeze Airways announced Hartford, Connecticut, as its fifth base to complement its growing domestic network.
• The airline currently serves four routes out of the city but has plans for eight more in the future.

JetBlue founder David Neeleman's newest low-cost carrier is permanently planting itself in Connecticut, making it the second budget airline to base itself in the Constitution State.

Breeze Airways, which launched in May 2021, announced on Thursday that it is making Connecticut home with a new base at Hartford's Bradley International Airport. The company flew from Charleston to Hartford on its first day of operation and has been flying out of the city ever since.

Currently, the company flies four nonstop routes from Hartford, including Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Norfolk, Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, Breeze founder David Neeleman said there are another eight yet to be announced.

The airport will be Breeze's fifth base, complementing its Tampa, New Orleans, Charleston, and Norfolk operations.

"Over the last few years, Bradley has gained a national reputation as one of the best operated and most convenient airports in the country, and airlines are taking note as they increase their service and add more routes from Connecticut's largest airport," Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said.

"Bradley is a key economic driver for our state, and the more airlines and destinations that we can add from the airport, the more attractive Connecticut becomes to companies that are seeking to grow their own operation," he continued. "I am excited that Breeze has committed to establishing a base of operations at Bradley, and I look forward to their continued growth here."

Establishing an official base in Hartford means Breeze will permanently house aircraft at the airport, as well as create over 200 jobs, including hiring local flight crews and mechanics. According to the company, the airline will fly the first of its new A220s on all four existing routes, as well as bump up the frequencies of each flight.

Moreover, it has secured over $1 million in grants from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) as long as it retains the new jobs.

The news comes as Avelo, another new low-cost carrier that launched in April 2021, announced four new routes out of Southern Connecticut, including Nashville, Tennessee; Savannah, Georgia; and Myrtle Beach and Charleston in South Carolina.

The airline made New Haven its East Coast base in November and currently flies six nonstop routes to Florida, but Breeze's commitment to the state is turning Connecticut into a battleground for budget carriers.

"Breeze is the latest in a long line of companies investing and putting down roots in Connecticut," DECD Commissioner David Lehman and president and CEO of nonprofit organization AdvanceCT, Peter Denious, said in a joint statement. "The fact that the company is also adding flights is good news for business and leisure travelers alike."