TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Twin Falls residents now have a new, low-cost option for air travel after Breeze Airways launched its first flights out of Joslin Field, Magic Valley Regional Airport on Friday.
The Salt Lake-based carrier's inaugural flight connected the Magic Valley to Las Vegas, with an option to continue to Orange County without changing planes. With prices starting at just $44, all 137 seats on the Airbus 220 were filled.
Rachelle Mueller was among the passengers on the historic flight.
"I was kind of shocked. I'm ready to go, I already checked in and everything, but the line is crazy, and the parking lot is really full too," Mueller said.
WATCH | Breeze kicks off new route with inaugural flight—
Mueller said she had a personal reason to celebrate the new route.
"I'm super excited. I'm a huge 311 fan, and they're playing this weekend in Vegas, so it was so awesome that Twin Falls has a flight now," Mueller said.
Breeze Airways Chief Financial Officer Trent Porter said a full flight on an inaugural route is rare.
"I've done a lot of these inaugural flights, and I can't remember where we had a full load on the way out, so this is fantastic to see," Porter said.
Porter said the airline, founded in 2021 and since expanding to more than 86 cities, specifically targets underserved communities.
"We typically focus on those communities that needs service, and so Twin Falls fit that profile," Porter said.
The launch was marked with a celebration on the tarmac.
"What we do is we bust out some champagne bottles, spray down the plane — hopefully it's a good sign of good luck," Porter said.
Breeze becomes the second airline currently serving Joslin Field, joining Delta, which offers 3 daily flights to Salt Lake City.
Twin Falls Mayor Jason Brown said the new service is a sign of the regional airport's recovery after a difficult stretch following COVID.
"We had to make some choices as a community, what was important, and air service is important to our community, as we've talked to individuals also, our business community," Brown said.
Brown said he sees no signs of the momentum slowing down.
"There's no sign of stopping right now. I mean, our economy's strong, the city's managed well. Things are looking good, and people are excited to see what we've got going on in the next decade," Brown said.
The new Breeze Airways flights operate weekly on Mondays and Fridays. The route was first announced last November.
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