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**Avelo Airlines Faces Backlash Over Deportation Flight Contract with Trump Administration**
Houston, TX – Budget airline Avelo Airlines is facing a storm of controversy after entering into a contract with the Trump administration to operate deportation flights. The financially struggling airline, which launched in 2021, has been contracted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to transport migrants to detention centers both within and outside the U.S.
Avelo operated its first deportation flight on Monday, flying from Arizona to Louisiana. The airline plans to dedicate three aircraft to these operations, establishing a charter-only base in Mesa, Arizona.
The move has sparked outrage from customers and employees alike. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing Avelo’s crew, has criticized the decision, citing safety concerns regarding transporting handcuffed and shackled passengers. One customer helped organize a petition urging travelers to boycott the airline, which has garnered tens of thousands of signatures. Protests are also planned at Hollywood Burbank Airport in California, one of Avelo’s operating bases.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong has threatened to review state incentives for Avelo, which has received over $2 million in subsidies and tax breaks.
Avelo CEO Andrew Levy acknowledged the sensitive nature of the contract in an internal memo, stating the decision came after “significant deliberations.” The company defends the agreement as vital to its financial stability, ensuring employment for over 1,100 crewmembers.
A DHS official defended the contract, stating that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is deporting illegal aliens who broke the country’s laws. The official called the protests “nothing more than a tired tactic to abolish ICE by proxy.”
Avelo’s decision comes after a recent fundraising round was suspended following its worst quarterly performance in two years, highlighting the airline’s financial difficulties. The airline acknowledged it was spending more than it earned from its customers, forcing it to seek repeated infusions of capital from investors.
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