A Popular Budget Airline Just Got FAA Approval To Start Offering Affordable International Flights

Americans love a budget airline. Case in point: Spirit Airlines was quietly named the best in America for 2025 by WalletHub, while Southwest and the most wheelchair-accessible airline, JetBlue, topped J.D. Power's 2025 Economy Customer Satisfaction rankings. So, when Breeze Airways entered the scene in 2021, it was a much-welcomed addition. At launch, the airline primarily served routes between smaller domestic airports — such as Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport, dubbed New England's "fastest growing hub;" Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport; and Orlando International Airport — using them as hubs while skipping connections at larger airports. But that's about to change. As of June 6, 2025, Breeze has received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to start scheduling international flights.

So far, the "Seriously Nice" Airline — known for its no-nonsense in-cabin experience that skips the frills and keeps fares low, with optional upgrades like more legroom and free bags — is only cleared to fly to countries that have Open Skies agreements with the United States. As of this writing, that includes Japan, Australia, the European Union, and Switzerland, with more to follow as more countries sign the pact.

Unfortunately, even though Breeze uses some of the newest and most fuel-efficient planes on the market, the carrier has yet to receive approval for long-haul flights, meaning it's limited to flights within 60 minutes of a relief airport. Then again, the Department of Transportation has granted Breeze an exemption to travel to Mexico in the meantime. This means your next trip south of the border could be a whole lot easier and "breezier."

When Breeze began its operations, it developed a flight plan formula that opened a whole new category of shorter travel times on routes largely overlooked by major airlines. Instead of connecting major cities, it offered direct service between regional hubs — routes more likely to be used by everyday Americans. Presumably, the new international operations will follow a similar strategy.

In an interview with The Points Guy in January 2025, Breeze founder and CEO David Neeleman said that the airline planned to begin with flights to countries like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica, pending approval. Following that, they'd commit to routes in Hawaii and the British Isles, which include Great Britain and Ireland. With Mexico on the map for Breeze, one can surmise that the first routes — slated to launch in autumn 2025 — may serve the likes of Cancun International Airport and San José del Cabo International Airport, departing from U.S. airports that lack direct service.

The company has previously expressed its intentions to more than double its network of 72 airports by 2030. While much of that growth is expected to be international, some may be domestic. It's also worth noting that the majority of U.S. cities Breeze serves as of this writing are located in Eastern states and Midwest cities, so a westward expansion is expected, too.