Listen to this articleLow-cost airline Breeze Airways has announced it achieved its first full quarter of operating profit in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The carrier, which began flying out of Long Island MacArthur Airport in Feb. 2022, reported more than $200 million in revenue, propelling an operating margin of more than 4 percent in the fourth quarter. Total revenue for the year ending Dec. 31, 2024, was over $680 million, an increase of more than 78 percent over 2023, according to a company statement.
Salt Lake City-based Breeze added 29 new destinations to its network in 2024, increasing available seat miles by more than 52 percent over the previous year. The new destinations added from Islip last year included non-stop flights to Fort Meyers, Fla. and Sarasota, Fla.
“This milestone is a major accomplishment for Breeze and a strong testament to the hard work, dedication, and determination of our more than 2,000 incredible team members,” David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways, said in the statement. “In under four years, we have managed to grow and expand Breeze at an unprecedented rate while establishing a robust presence in dozens of underserved markets across the U.S. Most importantly, we’ve done so safely, providing millions of people access to efficient, affordable, and elevated air travel. It’s clear our hybrid model – one we refer to as ‘Nice Low-Cost Carrier, or NLCC’ – is not just working, but thriving.”
Breeze’s business model centers around serving secondary airports that have largely been abandoned by major carriers over the past two decades, the company says. As of Dec. 2024, Breeze was the sole carrier serving 87 percent of its 220 nonstop routes. Breeze’s low-cost structure facilitates base fare options that are an average of 44 percent lower than other carriers serving the same city pairs.
Breeze, which began flying in May 2021 with a fleet of leased Embraer E190 and E195 aircraft, has transitioned most of its scheduled service flying to its growing fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. In 2024, Breeze took delivery of 13 A220s, for a total of 33 A220s in its fleet. The airline has 90 orders with options for 30 more through 2028, according to the statement.
“Our key to success lies in our ability to leverage the unique size and efficiency of the A220 to offer direct service between underserved cities with a premium product people really enjoy,” Lukas Johnson, chief commercial officer at Breeze, said in the statement. “That, combined with our ability to put planes where and when they’ll be most successful, is what truly makes Breeze stand out in the industry.”
Breeze, which flew 4.2 million passengers last year, was named 2025 Startup Airline of the Year by the Centre for Aviation and earned a number three ranking in Travel + Leisure’s list of “Best Domestic Airlines.”