New airline to soon touch down in Lincoln

A new airline will soon be flying into Nebraska.

The Lincoln Airport announced Tuesday that low-cost carrier Breeze Airways will be bringing new service to the Capital City.

The airline will start twice-weekly service to Orlando on Dec. 10.

It’s the first entry into Nebraska for Breeze, and it will give the Lincoln Airport low-cost flights to compete with airlines such as Southwest and Frontier, which fly out of Omaha, and Allegiant, which flies out of Omaha and Grand Island.

“Breeze has built a reputation for connecting underserved markets with affordable, high-quality service, and we’re thrilled to welcome them to Lincoln,” David Haring, executive director of the Lincoln Airport Authority, said in a statement. “Orlando is one of the most in-demand destinations for families and vacationers in the Midwest, and this route provides a convenient, nonstop option that travelers will love.”

Bringing Breeze to Lincoln is a huge win for the airport, which had been struggling to attract and keep service since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite a renovation and expansion of its terminal that cost more than $50 million and added gates, the Lincoln Airport was down to just one airline, United, which flies to Chicago and Denver.

Delta Air Lines ended flights from Lincoln to Minneapolis and Atlanta during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a short-lived startup airline, Redway, lasted less than three months in the summer of 2023, burning through $3 million in incentive money and prompting a state audit that called it a “debacle” and a ”failed riverboat gamble.”

Breeze will receive a similar amount of incentive money. The airport announced Tuesday that the airline will receive what’s called a maximum revenue grant of $3.75 million over a four-year period. The money is meant to backstop any startup losses the airline occurs in the initial months of the service, as well as incentive it to expand service to other destinations if the Orlando flight is successful.

“This is a smart investment in connectivity,” Rachel Barth, director of air service development and strategic marketing for the airport, said in a statement. “Minimum revenue guarantees like this are industry standard and have helped airports across the country attract and retain successful new service.”

Barth said Breeze is already familiar with the Lincoln market because it offers charter flights for Husker athletic teams.

Breeze, which is less than five years old, has been expanding rapidly, adding service to more than a dozen new cities just this year. The addition of Lincoln seems to fill a hole in its route map, as the airline does not currently fly to any city in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska or the Dakotas.

“Breeze is excited to add the Cornhusker State to our growing nationwide network,” David Neeleman, Breeze Airways’ founder and CEO, said in a statement. “We’re confident travelers in Lincoln will love this nonstop service to sunny Orlando and look forward to introducing them to Breeze this winter.