Bradley Airport in Connecticut to become Breeze Airways hub

Breeze Airways announced Thursday that Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport will become the fifth base of operations for the airline that specializes in low-cost nonstop flights. Headquartered in Utah, the airline plans to permanently house aircraft at the Windsor Locks airport as well as hire local pilots, flight attendants and mechanics, creating at least 200 new jobs in the state. “It’s going to be great for people to come and visit this part of the country and also for people from here to be able to kind of visit other parts of the country as well,” said Breeze Airways founder and CEO David Neeleman, a Connecticut resident. He said the airline, which began offering flights on May 27, 2021 to three destinations, including Bradley, will announce eight new nonstop destinations from Connecticut’s largest airport in the coming weeks, for a total of 12. Breeze currently offers nonstop service from Bradley to Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Norfolk, Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. By the end of February, the airline is expected to provide service nationally between 18 cities and 14 states. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said more airlines are becoming interested in Bradley, considered a small airport nationally but the second-largest airport in New England, for its convenience and operations. “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 operations,” Lamont said. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development is providing Breeze Airways a grant in arrears up to $1.26m contingent on the company creating and retaining 212 full-time jobs.<br/>