Governor Dan McKee, joined by Rhode Island elected officials, the Rhode Island Airport Corporation and Breeze Airways, the new low-fare airline from JetBlue founder David Neeleman, announced the addition of five new routes from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) this summer, including non-stop service to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). This is the airport’s first West Coast flight. The new twice weekly service from Providence to Los Angeles (Wednesdays and Saturdays) will be operated with Breeze’s fleet of brand-new Airbus A220s. Breeze will nearly triple its fleet this year from 13 aircraft to 30.
“Today is an exciting day for Rhode Island as we announce a long-awaited nonstop route to the West Coast,” said Governor McKee. “With new flights bringing increased access to Rhode Island, we look forward to welcoming more overnight visitors which means more spending at our local restaurants, more spending at our retail businesses, and more money spent on arts and cultural activities, all supporting thousands of jobs and, in turn, supporting tens of thousands of families across our state.”
New Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport routes include:
- Columbus, OH (Friday and Monday, starting May 27, Nice from $49* one way; Nicer from $99* summer seasonal route);
- Jacksonville, FL (Friday and Monday, starting May 27, from $59* one way; Nicer from $109*);
- Savannah, GA (Friday and Monday, starting June 3, Nice from $59* one way; Nicer from $109* summer seasonal route);
- Los Angeles, CA** (Wednesday and Saturday, starting June 29, Nice from $99* one way; Nicer from $189* Nicest from $199* summer seasonal route); and
- Richmond, VA (Thursday and Sunday, starting June 30, Nice from $49* one way; Nicer from $89*).
Routes which will be operated with the Airbus A220 are marked with **
Breeze Airways began flying from Rhode Island in the summer of 2021 and currently offers three nonstop destinations from PVD, including service to Charleston, SC (CHS), Norfolk, VA (ORF) and Pittsburgh, PA (PIT). With the addition of these five new routes, Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport now offers 32 non-stop destinations; an increase of 88 percent since 2016, with more non-stop routes available now than before the COVID-19 pandemic (23 as of Winter 2019-2020).
“This is a wonderful day, not just for Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport, but for Rhode Island itself as we welcome our airport’s first ever direct flights to the West Coast,” said Iftikhar Ahmad, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. “These five new routes are welcome news for leisure and business travelers to and from our state. We truly appreciate Breeze Airways’ continued investment in service to our state and region.”
“I worked with the FAA for years on RIAC’s version of ‘Project Runway’ with this goal in mind: more flight choices for Rhode Islanders, including West Coast service, and more options to connect our state to destinations across the country and around the world. This is another positive development for Rhode Island air travel and there will be many more to come,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed, a senior member of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, who led efforts to secure over $200 million in federal funding to extend the runway and modernize the airport.
“Our natural attractions, hospitality and arts and culture industries are second to none,” said Lt. Governor Sabina Matos. “We are excited to open our doors to so many new regions across our country and even more excited for our local business owners to show them the best of Rhode Island.”
“We truly appreciate Breeze Airways continued investments into our local economy, particularly with the nonstop route to Los Angeles,” said Rhode Island House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi. “This is truly a historic day for the airport. More affordable flights to and from these exciting destinations is good news for Rhode Island’s economy and we look forward to continuing a fruitful partnership with Breeze Airways.”
“Greater connectivity to and from Southern New England is wonderful news for the Rhode Island economy including our tourism industry,” said Senate Majority Leader Michael McCaffrey. “These exciting new routes will create even more job creation opportunities and more revenue for our city and our state.”
“I’m proud to help announce these important new connections for our state, courtesy of our state’s fastest growing airline partner, Breeze Airways,” said Warwick Mayor Frank Picozzi. “Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport prides itself as the ‘easy airport’ in our region, and the City of Warwick couldn’t be happier to welcome more visitors and celebrate this expansion of the ‘easy’ airline, Breeze Airways.”
“As our nation continues to recover from the pandemic, the Ocean State is becoming one of the nation’s most preferred leisure destinations, and a preferred visitor gateway to all of New England,” said RIAC Board Chairman Jonathan N. Savage. “We’re proud that Breeze Airways continues to recognize Rhode Island as a growing attraction for both leisure and business travel and are confident that this is the beginning of more good things to come for both Breeze Airways and PVD.”
Breeze’s initial A220 aircraft deliveries will feature 126 seats, including 36 First Class seats in a two-by-two configuration, 10 Extra Legroom seats, and 80 Standard Economy seats in a two-by-three configuration. The A220 seat configuration is dynamic however and later deliveries will offer 137 total seats, 12 First Class seats, 45 Extra Legroom seats and 80 Standard Economy seats onboard. Guests may choose from three price bundles that are offered as ‘Nice,’ ‘Nicer,’ and ‘Nicest’ service. Guests may even choose a Nice or Nicer bundle and buy an upgrade to a First Class seat.
“The A220-300 is a game-changer for us as we now add long haul flights and transcontinental service,” said Breeze’s Founder and CEO David Neeleman. “The Airbus aircraft embodies the Breeze ideal of merging kindness with technology, pairing unrivaled passenger comfort with eco-friendly efficiency. With the A220, Breeze is giving our Guests the widest cabin, highest ceiling, largest windows and biggest overhead stowage in this class, while still managing to burn 25 percent less fuel, with half the noise footprint of past generations.”
“Both our leisure and our business travelers have long advocated for a non-stop West Coast flight from our state’s airport. That day has come – and it’s very exciting,” said Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor. “All of these new routes will bolster our already strong position as an important tourism and business center within the United States. We are grateful to Breeze Airways including their CEO David Neeleman and Vice President Danny Cox, Chair Jon Savage and President & CEO Iftikhar Ahmad of the RI Airport Corporation, Governor McKee, Speaker Shekarchi, and Senate President Ruggerio for joining forces and making this new set of routes possible.”
With seamless booking, no change or cancellation fees, up to 24 months of reusable flight credit and customized flight features delivered via a sleek and simple app, Breeze makes it easy to buy and easy to fly. Flights are now on sale at www.flybreeze.com and via the Breeze app.
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