DALLAS - Utah-based budget carrier Breeze Airways (MX) launches five daily non-stop flights from Provo, UT, Utah's second-largest municipal area.

Breeze not only wants to fly from Provo Municipal Airport (PVU); it also wants to make it the carrier's Utah base with four aircraft based there.

Those connections will be the first operated by the airline from Utah, which comes as a surprise if you consider it has its headquarters in the state. MX opened its Cottonwood Heights, UT, headquarters in February 2020 and currently employs around 70 workers at the facility.

In March 2022, following the initial commitment to the Beehive State, the airline debuted the Breeze Training Academy in Salt Lake City for initial and recurrent training for its pilots, flight attendants, and Guest Empowerment teams.

With the new base at PVU, the airline expects to hire an additional 200 Utah-based employees, while continuing to add jobs across a range of positions, including finance, operations, marketing, and human resources at its headquarters.

Provo is currently in the process of finishing and opening a new four-gate terminal, which undoubtedly has a lot to do with this announcement from MX and also that from Allegiant Air (G4).

New Route Rollout

Customers will be able to fly with MX from Provo starting August 4, when the first two routes will see the start of operations. The one-stop flights, called 'BreezeThru' by the airline, involve a quick stop at an airport where passengers will remain on the same aircraft. The rollout is planned as follows:

• San Bernardino, CA - San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) - Daily, one-stop - August 4th.
• San Francisco, CA - San Francisco International Airport (SFO) - Daily, nonstop - August 4th.
• Westchester / White Plains, NY - Westchester County Airport (HPN) - Daily, one-stop - October 5th.
• Las Vegas, NV - Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) - Daily, nonstop -  October 5th.
• Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - Daily, nonstop -  November 2nd.

Breeze will utilize its Airbus A220 fleet on flights to LAS, LAX, and HPN, while its Embraer E190 jets will operate to SBD and SFO. San Bernardino flights will be via San Francisco, while Westchester flights will be via Las Vegas.

Competition, Breeze's view

Data from airlinedata.com shows that the main competitor for MX at Provo will be Allegiant Air (G4). The Nevada-based airline is currently the only commercial carrier serving the airport and has a long history of being active at Provo. The two carriers will compete on the routes connecting Provo to Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

G4 has been active over recent weeks when it comes to its operations in Utah. It announced a new base in Provo for four planes in November with an investment of $95m. On Friday, the carrier also declared its intention to fly four new routes from PVU:  Las Vegas  (LAS), Portland (PDX), San Diego (SAN), and Orlando Sanford (SFB).

David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze, commented on the launch of the routes from Utah, “It’s been the question on everyone’s lips since we first opened our offices in Cottonwood Heights — when are you flying from Utah? In addition to the new routes announced today, we’re also making Provo a base, so we’ll be hiring hundreds more people locally.”

Neeleman pointed out that Provo is convenient due to its proximity to Silicon Slopes, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, corporate businesses, and the general public.

He added that it takes less time for someone willing to leave from Silicon Slopes via PVU to park, pass through TSA checks, head to the gates, and board the plane than to go from Lehi to the Salt Lake Airport (SLC) and do the same thing. “My flight could be halfway to San Francisco before the Salt Lake flight gets off the runway,” Neeleman remarked.

Featured image: Breeze Airways N102BZ Embraer E190AR. Photo: Luke Ayers/Airways