Building a People-First Airline: Breeze Airways’ CPO on AI, Frontline Comms, and Hypergrowth

Episode notes

Summary How do you keep a fast-growing, always-in-motion workforce informed, aligned, and delivering standout service—while adding a new aircraft every month? Jeff Weber, Chief People Officer at Breeze Airways, shares how the airline is scaling a people-first culture across a distributed, frontline operation. Founded during COVID by David Neumann, Breeze targets underserved airports with a “seriously nice” guest experience—and it shows with NPS in the 70s. Jeff, who came from software, breaks down what it takes to staff a point-to-point model across many locations, onboard 1,000+ new hires a year, and give teams the tools they need in the flow of work. He details weekly CEO-led calls by role to drive connection and clarity, an AI-enabled HR assistant (Harper by WISC) that handles tier-one/two questions in Teams and email, and short-form training that becomes instant job aids on phones and iPads. You’ll also hear how Breeze builds scalable listening loops—active Q&A, pulse surveys, and focus groups—while decentralizing culture through local ambassador committees and community work, including Make-A-Wish flights.