Breeze Airways Adds Two New Nonstop Routes from RDU to Birmingham, Tallahassee

Breeze Airways announced two new nonstop routes from Raleigh‑Durham International Airport to Tallahassee, Florida, and Birmingham, Alabama, that will begin in early July and are available for booking beginning today. The Tallahassee route (RDU–TLH) will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays starting July 2, 2026, with introductory fares from $39 one way. The Birmingham route (RDU–BHM) will operate Mondays and Fridays starting July 3, 2026, with introductory fares from $49 one way.

David Neeleman, founder and CEO of Breeze Airways, framed the expansion as part of the carrier’s broader rollout: “For nearly five years, Breeze has been filling a long‑overlooked gap in the industry by connecting underserved markets with affordable, nonstop service. The addition of these new cities and routes will give even more travelers the opportunity to save precious hours that would otherwise be spent flying through hubs or driving.” Breeze calls itself a premium leisure carrier providing affordable, direct flights from underserved markets and said the new schedules are part of a larger summer expansion that adds more than a dozen nonstop routes nationwide.

Breeze’s chief commercial officer Lukas Johnson explained the Tallahassee decision and equipment choice in local interviews. “It made sense to add Tallahassee to the map. It's an interesting area that's really struggled for kind of low‑cost or value service. For us, we think we're the perfect carrier for that,” Johnson said, adding, “We've got brand new efficient planes that are the right size for the market and the right product for the market, which I think is kind of the key to success,” referring to the Airbus 137‑seat A220‑300 planned for the route. Tallahassee scheduling notes show Breeze will also operate nonstop TLH–Fort Lauderdale in addition to TLH–RDU, and the airline is offering a $39 introductory special on its booking site while seats last.

RDU’s addition of Birmingham and Tallahassee joins an expanding Breeze footprint at Raleigh‑Durham. RDU’s nonstop destinations map lists multiple Breeze services already scheduled or starting this spring and early summer, including Madison (starts May 2026), New York‑Stewart (starts May 2026) and Atlantic City (starts June 2026), and carries the airport caveat that seasonal and daily frequency could vary. Breeze’s summer timetable also includes other regional moves such as seasonal Portland‑Maine connections and expanded frequencies on existing routes.

Industry observers point to shifting low‑cost capacity as part of the backdrop to Breeze’s move: Spirit Airlines is in bankruptcy and has sought to return aircraft to lessors, creating openings on several short‑haul routes. “Six of Breeze's new routes either compete with the struggling airline - ACY‑TPA, FLL‑CHS, FLL‑TPA and MYR‑PIT - or fill a gap it recently left - FLL‑BHM and TPA‑CMH,” industry analysis notes, underlining how Breeze’s July schedule both competes on some city pairs and plugs service gaps on others.

Tickets for the RDU–TLH and RDU–BHM nonstops are on sale now and Breeze lists July 2 and July 3 as the operative start dates for Tallahassee and Birmingham service, respectively. Triangle travelers seeking direct connections to North Florida and central Alabama will see those options added to RDU’s summer schedule, with exact aircraft assignment, full fare rules and seasonal frequency subject to the airline’s published booking terms.