American low-cost carrier Breeze Airways is looking to North Carolina for its next round of expansion, with the carrier set to launch year-round services to John Wayne Airport-Orange County Airport (SNA) and additional flights to Bangor, Newburgh, and Vero Beach.
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (RDU) is set to become an operating base for the carrier from 2026 and has a growing number of domestic flights. This announcement will see an additional four year-round scheduled services, supporting the already announced two new international seasonal services to Montego Bay and Punta Cana.
Breeze Airways From Raleigh
The new year-round nonstop services from RDU are all scheduled to take off from May next year, perfectly timed to make the most of the upcoming summer season. Bangor (Maine), Newburgh (New York), and Vero Beach (Florida) will all commence on May 6, followed closely by the new link to California, which will travel nonstop to Orange County (John Wayne Airport) from May 29. Breeze Airways confirmed in an email to Simple Flying that the airline will operate Raleigh to Newburgh, Orange County, Vero Beach, and Bangor, all twice-weekly.
With Orange County now firmly on the airline’s horizon, a report by the News & Observer claims this will see the airline withdraw from its nonstop service to 
Los Angeles International Airport, opting for the quieter John Wayne Airport, located 40 minutes from downtown LA.
As a low-cost carrier, it’s not uncommon for airlines to choose a route with no direct competition, carving out their own demand for it. As such, Breeze will be the only airline operating from Raleigh to Bangor, Stewart, Vero Beach, and Orange County.
More Choice From RDU
Currently, Breeze is the largest airline at RDU by number of destinations served, with 30 year-round operations (including LAX), and an additional six seasonal services. Of these 36 destinations, Breeze is the only operator on 24 of them. Of the top ten destinations served from Raleigh, Breeze only goes head-to-head with one city pair – Orlando, competing with 
Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and 
Southwest Airlines.
Breeze’s game plan at Raleigh continues to attract leisure travelers, given that it offers less than daily service on most routes, and even with the largest number of destinations served at the airport, the carrier still accounts for only around 4% of all travelers at the airport.
The airline’s nonstop service to Los Angeles first debuted back in 2023, and the carrier has therefore competed with major carriers 
American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. The move to Orange County will see the flights operated with the carrier Airbus A220-300, with two weekly flights, according to aviation insider Ishrion Aviation’s X page.
Breeze Airways Surges Ahead: Its Top 2 Busiest Airports Have Changed
Through the year’s end, 73 airports will see Breeze’s aircraft.
Tongue And Cheek For Thanksgiving
Breeze has taken to its socials over the Thanksgiving weekend with some lighthearted comedy. The airline noted that seatbelts match any outfit, calling it ‘airport couture’. Passengers looking for a deal can visit the airline’s website now and get up to 60% off base fares with the discount code ‘CYBER’.
The low-cost carrier boasts a ‘seriously nice’ experience onboard, encouraging passengers to sit back and relax with high-speed Viasat WiFi on Airbus A220 flights, free messaging to iMessage, WhatsApp, and other providers, and a range of snacks and beverages available for purchase.
You can expect to be comfortable onboard, with the airline awarded the Best Seat Comfort in North America by APEX in 2024, the airline offers standard seating with 30 inches of legroom, up to 33 inches in ‘Extra’, and up to 39 inches if traveling in their first class cabin, Breeze Ascent.
Breeze Airways is headquartered in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, and was founded by David Neeleman. The airline launched its first flights in May 2021 between Tampa and Charleston and today operates bases at Akron, Charleston, Fort Myers, Hartford, New Orleans, Norfolk, Orlando, Providence, Provo, Tampa, and Vero Beach. The airline has a fleet of Airbus A220-300 and Embraer E190 aircraft. Rumor has it, according to Ishrion Aviation, that the Embraer 190 is set to be retired from scheduled service by the middle of next year.
