Low-cost US carrier Breeze Airways raises $200m in new funding

The parent company of new low-cost US air carrier Breeze Airways said on Wednesday it had closed a $200m Series B funding round led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRoc and Knighthead Capital Management. Breeze Aviation Group previously raised more than $100m and began flights in late May. Breeze is now serving 16 US cities and 39 routes. The company said it would use the funding to expand operations. Breeze CE David Neeleman said on Wednesday the carrier has had more than 100,000 passengers since launching operations. Breeze currently has 13 airplanes and is focusing on flights between smaller U.S. cities that have little or no direct service from larger carriers. Breeze is serving cities like Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans, Norfolk, Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hartford, Connecticut, and Akron, Ohio. Neeleman said the new funding showed the airline was “here to stay.” He said the funding would allow the airline to “be opportunistic about some airplanes that might be available.”<br/>