Utah-based startup Breeze Airways (MX, Salt Lake City) has gained a foothold at Long Beach, Southern California from where it will start service to as-yet-unnamed destinations in autumn 2022.
Long Beach Airport, in a statement, announced that Breeze Airways was awarded one of two available permanent flight slots in June 2022 after they were relinquished by Delta Air Lines (DL, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson) on April 19, 2022. Southwest Airlines (WN, Dallas Love Field) was awarded the other remaining slot to enhance its service at Long Beach Airport.
The new carrier will join American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines (HA, Honolulu), and Southwest Airlines which are already serving the airport, considered the gateway to Southern California.
Breeze Airways currently offers nonstop services between underserved cities across the United States. The company, with a fleet of A220-300, E190 and E195 aircraft, first launched in May 2021 with a flight from Tampa International to Charleston International.
Long Beach Airport has a total of 53 flight slots, of which 41 are permanent and 12 are supplemental slots, the latter of which are subject to review under the annual noise budget.
The slot allocation at the airport currently stands as follows:
- American Airlines: four slots, including three permanent and one supplemental slot;
- Breeze Airways: One permanent slot;
- Delta Air Lines: Seven permanent slots;
- Hawaiian Airlines: Two permanent slots;
- Southwest Airlines: 38 slots, including 27 permanent slots and 11 supplemental slots;
- UPS Airlines (5X, Louisville International): one permanent slot.
