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Avelo Airlines, a Texas-based budget carrier, is under fire from customers and employees for partnering with the Trump administration to operate deportation flights. Facing financial struggles, the airline recently signed a contract with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to transport migrants to detention centers across the U.S. and abroad, according to an internal memo.
On Monday, Avelo completed its first deportation flight from Arizona to Louisiana. The airline is dedicating three Boeing 737-800 aircraft for these operations and has set up a charter-only base in Mesa, Arizona. Avelo confirmed the long-term agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), emphasizing the deal’s importance for maintaining jobs for over 1,100 crewmembers.
The decision comes amid heightened immigration enforcement by President Trump, including deporting Venezuelan migrants accused of gang ties to maximum-security prisons in El Salvador. Some legal U.S. residents are also being detained. These hardline policies have sparked lawsuits and nationwide protests.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing Avelo’s crew, criticized the deal as dangerous and unethical, citing safety concerns over transporting handcuffed passengers. Customers are also voicing opposition. Anne Watkins of New Haven, Connecticut, stopped flying with Avelo and launched a boycott petition that has already garnered over 38,000 signatures. Connecticut’s Attorney General is now reviewing state incentives granted to the airline.
In Los Angeles, activists like Nancy K have started campaigns such as “Mothers Against Avelo,” organizing weekly protests at Hollywood Burbank Airport. Critics argue that corporations like Avelo are enabling controversial immigration policies for profit.
CEO Andrew Levy acknowledged the controversy but defended the contract as a necessary move for financial stability, stating the opportunity was “too valuable not to pursue.”
