US budget carrier Avelo Airlines has signed an agreement for a long-term charter program, which will see the airline fly deportation flights on behalf of the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration Control and Enforcement agency (ICE).
An airline spokesperson told Airline Economics that these operations will be supported by three 737-800s based at Mesa Gateway Airport, Arizona and will commence on May 12, 2025.
With this, Avelo will open a base at the Arizona airport with Avelo pilots, flight attendants and aircraft technicians. The airline is expected to begin hiring locally for these positions.
Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has significantly ramped up the number of migrant deportations from the US. The New York post reported at the start of April that the Trump administration has deported more than 100,000 migrants since the president returned to the White House on January 20, 2025.
Avelo Airlines founder and CEO Andrew Levy said: “We realise this is a sensitive and complicated topic. After significant deliberations, we determined this charter flying will provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 crewmembers employed for years to come.”
The spokesperson for the airline also confirmed that flights will be both domestic and international, to support the department’s deportation efforts.
In response to this announcement from the airline, over 6,500 people have signed an online petition titled - “We won't fly Avelo until they stop ICE flights!”, calling for the airline to revoke this decision.
The change.org petition claims that a “leaked internal memo” from the airline states: “Deportation flights will make up for operating losses at Tweed Airport, thereby funding New Haven’s airport through cruel deportation practices.”
The petition was launched by the New Haven Immigrants Coalition, a group advocating for immigration rights in the region, where Avelo Airlines’ main East Coast hub is located.