Breeze Airways will begin nonstop flights between Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and Charleston, S.C., and Norfolk, Va. starting in February, the airline announced Monday.
The roundtrip flights to Virginia will run four times weekly on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays starting on Feb. 17, while the flights to South Carolina will run twice weekly on Fridays and Mondays starting on Feb. 18, the company said. Fares start at $39 one way.
“It feels so great to be back in New York, albeit down the road somewhat from my days at JFK,” said Breeze Airways Chairman and CEO David Neeleman. “Breeze’s model is to add new non-stop service on routes other airlines don’t fly, connecting cities with a short non-stop that otherwise would require a long drive or a change of planes.”
The announcement marks the airlines first flights in and out of an airport in New York State and its 17th nationwide.
Neeleman, the founder of five commercial air carriers, launched Breeze Airways in June 2018 and began serving passengers after it received its air carrier certification from the US Department of Transportation in May of this year. It flies 108-seat Embraer 190 aircraft.
“David Neeleman’s mission to bring together a nice group of people to run a seriously nice airline with great service, innovation, and low fares won our hearts from the start,” said LIMA Commissioner Shelley LaRose-Arken. “We are a different kind of airport located in the largest metro market in the country. Breeze offers a unique opportunity to disrupt the marketplace with its competitive fares, and reshape air travel for Long Island and New York with its fast, affordable, point-to-point service.”
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone welcomed the addition to LIMA’s arrivals and departures.
“We are thrilled to welcome Breeze Airways to Long Island,” he said. “MacArthur Airport has long been an engine of economic growth in our county, and this new partnership will further drive opportunities for residents and strengthen the region. It is a testament to the renowned service and professionalism of MacArthur Airport that David Neeleman chose Long Island for his new airline’s first New York State airport.”
Neeleman says the new flights are just the beginning.
“As we say, ‘Breeze will get you there in about half the time for around half the price,’” Neeleman added. “We see a lot of opportunity at Long Island MacArthur and I look forward to adding more routes.”
