Courtesy Breeze Airways

Breeze Airways is committing to Provo, in every way they can. The airline already announced Provo as its Utah home base and the company has now named Brigham Young University graduate and former university baseball player Tom Doxey as the new President of Breeze.

David Neelemen continues on as founder and CEO, but Doxey will bring years of airline experience to the team.

He most recently worked as senior vice president of technical operations, and before that was chief financial officer, at United Airlines. Besides United, Doxey has been employed by Allegiant and US Airways.

In speaking about the Provo Airport, and the home base potential, Doxey said, “It’s pretty great. There is definitely room for big plans over time.”

What happens next, though, will be determined by performance and bookings. Doxey indicated the bookings are going well, so far, with flights opening in August through November.

Courtesy Breeze Airways

On Aug. 4, Breeze will fly its maiden flight out of Provo to San Francisco and Doxey said he will be on the flight. He visited the Provo Airport on Friday and was impressed with the design and feel of the new facility.

Becoming the company’s president gives Doxey the opportunity to build on a new airline — Breeze only started flight operations in 2021.

“It’s an incredible opportunity here to do something different,” Doxey said. “I’ve been excited since early discussions with David Neelemen.”

Doxey said he is thrilled to be a part of the creating of a “seriously nice” airline, which is the businesses structure of “nice, nicer and nicest.”

He considers Provo’s airport to be seriously nice by the way it services its employees and customers. The employees, who will live in the area, will get to come home every night because the flights leave and return each day.

The team members for Breeze get to be builders, not just numbers, Doxey said. “Getting in early (in the company) gives you creation opportunities.”

Doxey said, “Provo’s initial bookings are strong and Mayor Michelle Kaufusi and the Provo city team have developed an incredible partnership.”

Breeze has also developed partnerships with several colleges and universities to make it easier to find employees.

“We’ve got deep, deep ties to the community,” Doxey said. “Seriously nice isn’t just a tag line — it means it’s just about being nice.”

Unlike many of the large carriers, Breeze has not seen the extended cancellations and postponed fights. Instead, the company maintains its focus on safety and operational liability. “I want to ensure we’re executing well with our incredible offering,” he said.

Doxey is married and is the father of six children, two of whom are currently studying at BYU. He is also fluent in Spanish, thanks in part to the LDS mission he served in Barcelona.

He also enjoys spending time in the different Breeze flight areas, getting to know the employees and making sure they are also having the nicest experience Breeze can offer.

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