Breeze ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ No New Issues Will Emerge With GTFs

U.S. carrier Breeze Airways is hopeful that no new issues will arise with Pratt & Whitney geared turbofans (GTFs) powering its fleet of Airbus A220s as more aircraft come online this year.

“As far as engines on the A220s, we don’t have any gliders,” Breeze CEO David Neeleman told CAPA TV during the recent CAPA Americas Airline Leaders Summit. “We’re managing through the situation with the help of Pratt & Whitney, so we’re cautiously optimistic we won’t have new issues.”

The Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database shows Breeze presently has 35 PW1000G-powered A220-300s in service, with four aircraft inactive. Neeleman said Breeze is taking delivery of 15 aircraft this year, and during the conference in early April said the carrier had accepted delivery of 4-5 aircraft. It has 56 A220-300s on order, according to Fleet Discovery.

Speaking on April 3, the day after U.S. President Donald Trump rolled out sweeping tariffs, Neeleman explained Breeze was “taking a look at the tariff situation,” adding “thankfully, the [A]220s we fly are manufactured in the U.S., so I think we’ll have minimal impact from the cost.” However, he concluded the question is how will trade policy affect consumer sentiment, and will there “be money left over to buy an airplane ticket if you’re paying higher for everything else?”

As Breeze assesses the impact of fast-changing U.S. trade policy, the carrier is working to debut international flights in the near future. Neeleman said, “[hopefully] we’ll be flying this late fall and winter internationally. We hope the certification will come sometime this summer.”

Speaking to a wider audience, Neeleman explained its first connection with an international carrier would likely be with Brazilian carrier Azul from Orlando. He cited a “big connection” in travel and migration between Breeze’s home state of Utah and the South American country.

Azul currently serves Campinas Viracopos and Belo Horizonte from Orlando, according to CAPA-Centre for Aviation. Neeleman also founded Azul and remains the carrier’s chairman.