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Breeze Airways scales back flights, cites aircraft delays

Staff //August 2, 2021//

Breeze Airways scales back flights, cites aircraft delays

Staff //August 2, 2021//

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 src=Breeze Airways has experienced strong sales since the airline’s launch two months ago, but delayed aircraft delivery have forced the startup to scale back frequency for a third of its routes, including six connections from Charleston.

“We had a delayed aircraft into service and had to reduce the schedule,” Breeze spokesperson Gareth Edmondson-Jones said in an email.

He added that the company has been pleased with sales numbers thus far.

“We’ve only been on sale a little over two months, and we’ve seen really strong demand,” Edmondson-Jones said.

The venture by JetBlue founder David Neeleman celebrated its inaugural flight out of Charleston on May 27, with introductory flights starting at $39. The initial flight connected Charleston with Tampa, Fla., and Hartford, Conn.

By July 9, the airline added five more routes as part of Breeze’s previous plan to continuously roll out non-stop routes throughout the month. The goal was 39 routes between 16 cities in the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast and East, the company said.

Almost two months after launching, the airline scaled back 33% of its routes around the country from four times a week to twice a week.

Affected Charleston connections include flights from Charleston International Airport to:

Schedule adjustments are in place “with no end date determined yet,” Edmonson-Jones said.

Breeze Airways has adjusted its website to alert customers of schedule changes. Some flights have been bumped by a few minutes, while others have been moved to different days of the week.

 “As we work toward our goal of providing service that works for our guests and the communities we serve, we sometimes have to make changes to our schedule. A lot of planning goes into these decisions, and we recognize the inconvenience it causes for our guests,” Breeze Airways said in a statement.

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