Breeze’s David Neeleman: Chasing Old-School Metrics ‘Got Spirit to Die’

Photo Credit: Breeze Airways CEO David Neeleman at Skift Aviation Forum in New York City on November 12, 2026. Skift Smaller airlines get into trouble when they try to compete with the majors, Breeze Airways founder and CEO David Neeleman said Thursday at the Skift Aviation Forum. Breeze has tried to stay out of their way, and Neeleman said the airline has posted four consecutive profitable quarters, with a fifth expected. The airline is privately held and does not publicly report full financial results. Spirit, which shut down in May, shows the risk. As the carrier moved to bigger planes, it was pushed into the same markets as the Big Four. The majors then moved to bigger planes too, adding seats that cost them “less than half” what Spirit paid per seat, he said. Skift Research has previously reported that U.S. low-cost carriers are stuck in oversupplied domestic leisure markets that pit them head-to-head with the