WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. — Breeze Airways will be establishing an operations base at Bradley International Airport, Gov. Ned Lamont and airline officials announced Thursday.
Lamont and other airline officials said the plan includes the creation of more than 200 jobs in Connecticut.
The airline also said its plans to add eight new nonstop destinations at Bradley, bringing the total number of destinations the airline serves from Windsor Locks airport to 12.
Lamont said the expansion will help put Connecticut on the map.
"With making such an emphasis on speeding up local transportation, that means everything from decongesting our highways to speeding up our rails. But that’s not good enough. We have to make sure that Connecticut has easy access to the rest of the country," said Lamont during the announcement.
The four nonstop destinations that Breeze currently serves from Bradley include Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Norfolk, Virginia; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Breeze plans to announce the eight new destinations that it is adding at the airport in the coming weeks.
A new Breeze aircraft will be powered by engines made by local Pratt and Whitney employees, which allows the plane to fly faster, quieter and cleaner in the air, officials said.
“Today’s announcement from Breeze is welcome news for both the Connecticut Airport Authority and the state’s tourism industry, with eight new routes on the way,” Tony Sheridan, chair of the Connecticut Airport Authority Board of Directors, said. “This level of interest also demonstrates Breeze’s confidence in the management and modernization of Bradley International Airport. We are excited to start unveiling these destinations in the coming weeks so we can continue enhancing the rest of the country’s access to all of Connecticut’s tourist offerings.”
The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) is supporting the project by providing a grant in arrears up to $1,262,000 contingent on the company creating and retaining 212 full-time jobs, the Lamon administration said.
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
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