America’s newest flag carrier: Breeze Airways schedules 1st international flights
September 25, 2025
Breeze Airways has secured certification from the Federal Aviation Administration as a US flag carrier, opening the door to international flying.
In the American context, “flag carrier” does not mean government ownership but denotes airlines authorised to operate abroad and carry US government traffic under Fly America rules.
Breeze is the first new US flag carrier in more than a decade, a milestone that marks its transition from domestic startup to international operator.
The certification follows a regulatory process launched in 2023 and reflects Breeze’s rapid growth since its first flight in 2021. It now operates more than 50 routes with a fleet of Airbus A220s and Embraer E-jets.
Breeze’s first international flights
The airline will debut cross-border service in January 2026, beginning with Norfolk–Cancún on January 10. More routes will follow in quick succession:
- Charleston–Cancún on January 17
- New Orleans–Cancún on February 7
- Providence–Cancún on February 14
- Tampa–Montego Bay on February 11
- Raleigh–Durham–Montego Bay and Raleigh–Durham–Punta Cana in March
Most routes will operate once weekly on Saturdays, reflecting their focus on leisure travellers, while the Raleigh services will run twice weekly.
All international flights will use Breeze’s Airbus A220-300s. Configured with 137 seats, the jet offers a three-tier product:
- Nicest (Ascent) — 12 recliner-style seats with ~39” pitch and power outlets
- Nicer — extra-legroom economy
- Nice/No Flex — standard economy with Breeze’s lowest fares
WiFi is available throughout, and flight times will range from 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on the route.
Does international expansion make sense for Breeze?
For a startup that built its identity on linking underserved US city pairs, the step into Mexico and the Caribbean represents both opportunity and challenge.
The choice of destinations presents a strong opportunity to serve leisure passengers, who make up the bulk of Breeze’s customer base. As Amadeus pointed out in its recent report, demand to these regions has surged, with 44 new services added from the US to the Caribbean last winter alone.
Breeze is well-loved for its strategy of point-to-point service from secondary cities, and its route choices play on that. Its inaugural flight from Norfolk (ORF) to Cancun will mark the first international flight from the airport in almost 24 years. Several other routes are currently unserved – Charleston and Providence to Cancun have no nonstop carrier, and while Frontier used to serve Tampa to Montego Bay, it doesn’t today, leaving Breeze as the only airline on the route.
But other routes will be more competitive. Raleigh-Durham is well served by many airlines, but Breeze is actively challenging the status quo. The airline plans to open a crew base at the airport in the first quarter of 2026, its 12th in the US, to support the new flights. To Punta Cana, it will go head-to-head with American Airlines. Avelo currently serves both Montego Bay and Punta Cana from RDU, but doesn’t plan to continue them past January/February 2026.
For Breeze, the move into international territory will add complexity to what has always been a streamlined and agile operation. From customs to bilateral rules, there will be more jobs for Breeze to do on these services, and more opportunities for things to go wrong.
Nevertheless, Breeze has long sought to fly further, and these near-international destinations will be a good proving ground for its operational capabilities. Founder David Neeleman has often commented on how far the A220-300 can fly, and how much of the world is within the airline’s grasp.
The flag carrier certificate may be technical in nature, but for Breeze, it is symbolic of a new era: from regional newcomer to an airline with international ambitions.
