SerpApi.Org
NORTH CHARLESTON — Charleston isn't just another destination for Breeze Airways anymore — it's becoming one of the airline's most important hubs.
Charleston is now one of Breeze's busiest and most strategically important markets, according to founder and CEO David Neeleman. The airline is preparing to expand alongside Charleston International Airport to add more nonstop destinations and strengthen its presence across the state.
Construction continues on a set of new gates at Charleston International that Breeze is expected to use heavily.
When asked about them, Neeleman joked, “You mean Breeze's new gates?”
One first led to more
When Breeze launched its first flight from Tampa to Charleston on May 27, 2021, the upstart carrier was still making a name for itself in commercial aviation.
Within about two months, the airport posted its biggest month ever for passenger boardings. As the airline has added routes and frequency, Breeze now shuttles more than 1,000 people a day through Charleston.
“We’ve been a big catalyst,” Neeleman said. “It was only natural that they needed to get new gates, and that those gates would be most used by the company that’s bringing new people to Charleston.”
Helen Hill, CEO of Explore Charleston and chairperson of the Charleston Regional Aviation Authority, said that Breeze’s expansion at CHS has been advantageous, complementing the service of four legacy carriers: Delta, American, United and Southwest.
"Breeze has created net new customers as opposed to expanding at the expense of the legacy carriers,” Hill said. “Those carriers have grown alongside Breeze since 2021, which is a true win-win for the airport, our airline partners and travelers.”
Since launching service and making Charleston International one of its focus airports, Breeze has “truly committed to our market,” Hill said. What the carrier has achieved in just five years is nothing short of amazing, she said.
"We’re thrilled to have been part of this journey from the start,” Hill said, recognizing the vital role the airline plays in serving residents, strengthening Charleston’s tourism industry and creating jobs.
Charleston’s airport was among the first to introduce a direct Breeze seasonal international flight, which launched in January. Breeze also added other new routes out of Charleston this year, including Trenton and Atlantic City in New Jersey and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Breeze serves roughly 90 airports nationwide. Even in that growing network, Neeleman puts Charleston near the top.
“Our first flight went from Tampa to Charleston, so it’ll always be top on our list,” he said.
Breeze now serves 33 markets from Charleston, making it the top carrier for CHS by number of destinations. There are plans for more growth — not just at Charleston International but across the state.
New gates, big plans
Neeleman teased his interest in the new gates at Charleston at the Global Airport Development Americas Forum in June, and he flew in to attend the groundbreaking ceremony last year.
Airport CEO Elliott Summey said the fact that Breeze “wants to fill those new gates up” is a testament to their longstanding partnership.
Charleston’s airport runs common-use gates, meaning any airline can use any gate based on demand. But, the airlines can have preferred gates.
The airline’s growth story has paralleled that of Charleston’s airport, which now sees 6.3 million passengers per year. Once the $100 million West Gate expansion project opens in early 2027, Summey expects to see more volume and new routes.
“We're going to grow into the new gates,” Summey said. “That's why the parking garage will come on first. The plane parking aprons second. The West Gates third. There is a method to the madness that's happening here, and we have to grow in a smart way that doesn't lose what makes us special.”
Summey said Breeze’s continued investment at the airport and the faith Neeleman has in CHS “mean a lot to us.”
“He could have chosen anywhere to place his investments, but he chose Charleston, and that says a lot about what we’re doing and the partnership we’ve had.”
A significant hub
Breeze’s investment and presence in Charleston go far beyond ticket counters and flights.
The airline conducts a significant amount of maintenance at Charleston International. According to Neeleman, every engine change on a Breeze aircraft is sent to Charleston. More extensive maintenance checks are currently being completed elsewhere.
Breeze is considering establishing a larger maintenance hangar in Charleston capable of handling heavier aircraft inspections that require planes to be taken out of service for weeks at a time. However, nothing has been finalized.
Landing the work would deepen the airline's investment in the region and could bring additional aviation jobs to the airport.
The airline also bases two Learjets in Charleston that play a critical role in keeping its network running. The aircraft are used daily as rescue planes to shuttle maintenance crews and flight crews, helping minimize delays and cancellations across Breeze's system.
Breeze growth across SC
Charleston isn’t the only market the airline is betting on in the Palmetto State.
Breeze has 16 routes out of Myrtle Beach and 12 out of Greenville-Spartanburg’s airports.
Neeleman called Myrtle Beach International Airport “consistent and fantastic” for Breeze and described growth at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport as “tremendous,” saying those airports are “tailor-made for Breeze” with its focus on smaller and mid-sized cities.
He said those markets benefit from significant outbound traffic — the people who have moved away and still need to go home to visit family — as well as visitors coming into South Carolina.
The state’s one major airport that Breeze has not yet entered is Columbia Metropolitan Airport. When asked whether it’s on the airline’s radar, Neeleman said it isn’t at the top of the list.
Part of the challenge is that Columbia doesn’t have the same leisure draw that Myrtle Beach and Charleston do, and it sits less than a two-hour drive from Charleston and other airports. For at least some travelers, it may simply be easier to catch a nonstop from another airport.
The airline is flying one international route from Charleston today, and Neeleman says the early performance is strong, as he hinted at the potential of there being another down the road.
Those future flights — along with the possibility of deeper maintenance operations, more jobs and more routes — would only further cement Charleston’s role in Breeze’s network.
"David Neeleman and the Breeze team really understand our community,” Hill said. “They share our passion for making travel to and from Charleston easier and more affordable.”
