Breeze Airways plans expansion of operations at Provo Airport

Breeze Aviation Group Inc. continues to deepen its Utah roots, as it plans to add 78 high-paying jobs at Provo Airport, with a longer-term vision for 200 more.

The Cottonwood Heights-based company, operators of Breeze Airways, made the expansion declaration on the heels of an earlier announcement that it will begin daily nonstop flights from Provo later this year.

Founded by aviation entrepreneur David Neeleman, Breeze Airways began flights in May 2021, primarily in the East and Southeast. It focuses on offering nonstop flights and low fares on routes ignored or abandoned by other airlines and currently has 90 routes between secondary airports serving 31 cities in 18 states.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}

Danny Cox, Breeze co-founder and vice president of guest experience who also oversees airport operations, said the company already has 50 employees in information technology and a contact center in Provo. “So we’re excited now to bring new jobs, different jobs and more-diverse jobs to the area,” he told the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) board after the board approved a tax incentive for the project.

“We’re excited for this opportunity [and] your investment in us so that we can continue to grow,” he said, noting that the 78 jobs is “not where we’re going to stop.”

“Utah is just a great, growing place for us to have a great, smart, great-work-ethic type of people that we can have here and that we can deploy out to the other parts of our operations,” Cox said. “We’ll start with where we are today, but we’re not going to stop anytime soon.”

Eric Fletcher, the company’s director of legal and corporate affairs, echoed those remarks, adding that the company is considering hiring 200 more employees for work in and around Provo Airport.

The $8 million project is expected to generate new total wages of more than $21 million over five years and new state tax revenue of $1.8 million during that time. The 78 new jobs are expected to pay an average of $85,769. The Go Utah board approved a tax credit of up to $270,037 over five years.

“This seems like exactly what we want in the way of economic development in Utah,” said Go Utah board member Susan Johnson.

The company recently announced that it would offer daily nonstop service from Provo to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas and one-stop, same-plane service from Provo to New York’s Westchester County Airport and San Bernardino, California. Flights to San Francisco and San Bernardino will begin on Aug. 4, while Las Vegas and New York/Westchester service will start Oct. 5. Los Angeles flights will begin Nov. 2.

In a prepared statement, Neeleman, who serves as CEO, said “the beautiful, newly renovated Provo Airport will give our guests an easy way to travel to both coasts and provide a wonderful ‘home base’ for Breeze.”

“This significant expansion from Breeze brings jobs, connects Utahns through new flight routes to new destinations, and provides opportunities for people to visit Utah for work and play,” Dan Hemmert, Go Utah’s executive director, said in a prepared statement. “We’re excited to see this Utah company grow, and we’re even more excited to take advantage of its budget-friendly airfare.”

“We’re encouraged by Breeze Airways selecting Utah as a national training center for its pilots and maintenance staff,” said Theresa A. Foxley, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. “Workforce development is critical to any industry, and we anticipate Breeze will find competitive operating costs and logistical advantages siting this center here.”

Go Utah board chairman Steve Neeleman, who is David Neeleman’s brother, and board member Jesse Turley recused themselves from the project discussion and incentive vote.{/mprestriction}