(The Center Square) – T.F. Green International Airport was announced today as a base of operations for Breeze Airways, the young budget airline announced in multiple places.

The Providence airport will become the home of 20 routes, with an estimated 20 departures weekly 16 months from now. That number goes to 44 by 2027, multiple outlets said.

The airline believes about 250 jobs will be gained. Breeze is expected to apply for tax credits under the Qualified Jobs Incentive Program, a release from Gov. Dan McKee says.

Eight aircraft, mostly the Airbus A-220s, are expected to be based at PVD. Most of the single aisle designed planes carry about 100 to 150 passengers.

First flights to and from Providence began just over two weeks ago, flying to Charleston, South Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Norfolk and Richmond in Virginia; and to Pittsburgh.

Published comments from Tom Doxey, the president of Breeze, and Iftikhar Ahman, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Airport Corp., were complimentary of the move.

Breeze launched in the throes of COVID-19, with service on May 16, 2021, from 16 destinations. It began operation primarily in the eastern and southeastern portions of the United States with mid-sized aircraft and has expanded coast to coast. The business model sends planes to secondary airports rather than hubs to improve travel times.

T.F. Green counts 7.5 million population within 90 minutes.