Breeze Airways, the nascent domestic carrier founded by JetBlue founder David Neeleman, has set May 2021 as its new target launch date for commercial service.
Breeze plans to operate as a charter airline for six months prior to the commercial launch.
The new date is detailed in a regulatory filing jointly submitted by Breeze and the shuttered regional carrier Compass, which halted service in April amid the Covid-19 crisis. The companies have reached an agreement under which Compass would transfer its air operator's certificate to Breeze, pending FAA approval.
Breeze plans to connect midsize city pairs that lost nonstop service due to airline consolidation over the past decade or so. Neeleman has said that the carrier will make use of technological innovations that will improve the flying experience while saving travelers time and money.
Breeze had planned a winter 2020 commercial launch but has pushed back the schedule due to sharp decline in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The carrier had previously planned to begin service with 30 Embraer E195 regional jets leased from Brazil's Azul, where Neeleman is founder and board chairman. Instead, the carrier will lease 15 E195s from Nordic Aviation Capital.
Breeze also has 60 Airbus A220-300s on order. Deliveries are set to begin in August 2021, the regulatory filing says.