LI Officials Mark Breeze Airways Inaugural Flights To Fort Myers, Fla.

RONKONKOMA, NY — Long Island MacArthur Airport officials marked the inaugural nonstop Breeze Airways flight to Fort Myers, Florida, along with the air carrier’s doubling of frequency to Vero Beach, Florida, on Wednesday.

The inaugural flight will feature the carrier’s new Airbus A220 aircraft, which offers the airline's First Class product called Breeze Ascent, but as it builds towards the goal of an all-A220 fleet by the end of the year, it will operate Embraer 190-195 aircraft on some routes, officials said.

Breeze Airways announced the new flights between Fort Myers and the airport, as well as additional flights to Vero Beach on June 25. The airline will serve Fort Myers and Vero Beach on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday schedule. It will also serve Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida nonstop, four times a week on Sunday, Monday Thursday, and Friday, starting Nov. 21.

Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter said Fort Myers and Vero Beach are destinations that Long Islanders love, and the airline recognizes the opportunity to provide "the excellent customer experience and convenience our community has been requesting repeatedly."

"Offering Fort Myers service year-round is an important advancement for Islip’s MacArthur Airport and a strong selling point for Long Island air travelers,” she said.

Many residents have family, businesses, rental properties, and second homes in the destinations, and "others just want to relax with their toes in the sand,” according to Carpenter.

“We also appreciate the importance of encouraging and enabling travelers from Florida to explore Long Island, bringing jobs and prosperity to businesses in Nassau and Suffolk counties as visitors enjoy our airport and community," she said. "The Town Board and I are thrilled to welcome this additional air service."

Airport Commissioner Shelley LaRose-Arken said the airline's "commitment to Long Island is clear and we are thrilled to work with this ‘Seriously Nice’ air carrier on additional flights and destinations."

“We’re proud to be the airport where Breeze Airways received its air carrier certification from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2021, and to be the first New York airport the carrier selected to serve,” she added.

Breeze Airways’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer David Neeleman said, "There's nothing like flying Breeze from Long Island MacArthur Airport."

"We’re nice people, flying nice people, to and from nice places," he said.

Neeleman noted Travel + Leisure readers voted us one of the best domestic airlines for the third year in a row, and it's the airline industry’s only ‘NLCC’ or ‘Nice Low Cost Carrier.'

Guests earn BreezePoints for flights, enjoy free Wi-Fi onboard, and can choose Flex, Nice, Nicer, or Nicest fares "for total flexibility depending on their preferences," he said.

Breeze Airways' Co-Founder and Vice President Corporate Real Estate and Airport Development Jim Smith said that in working with the town and the airport's leadership, and listening to customers and the community, the airline's leadership has been able "to see that a key factor in making Fort Myers service successful was to offer it year-round."

“Fort Myers has grown beyond being a seasonal route and we’re delighted to offer these new flights so Breeze Airways Guests both in Fort Myers and on Long Island can count on them as they regularly and comfortably travel throughout the year,” he said.

Deputy Airport Commissioner Rob Schneider said its been "a particularly energizing summer and early fall at ISP with many air service announcements."

"We’ve also recently completed many capital projects, upgrades, and additions, along with marketing MacArthur Airport in both Nassau and Suffolk counties to gain new customers and widen the airport’s reach,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the new Breeze Florida service and to welcoming their additional routes and air service in the weeks ahead."

As well as the Florida destinations, Breeze will continue nonstop flights to Charleston, Norfolk, and Raleigh-Durham along with BreezeThru service, with one-stop / no plane change, to New Orleans.

BreezeThru flights to Jacksonville will be returning soon, officials said.

The airline flies to over 170 destinations across the U.S.