Avelo Airlines drops ICE deportation flights
Avelo Airlines announced it will end its controversial government contract operating deportation flights.
The airline started flying deportees out of Arizona nine months ago which led to multiple protests in cities the airline operates scheduled flights to.
Avelo was also boycotted by customers.
The airline says it was essentially a financial decision to end the contract.
“The program provided short-term benefits but ultimately did not deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs,” Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff said.
Avelo is ending operations at Mesa Gateway Airport near Phoenix, AZ, where many deportation flights were based from.
The airline claimed the controversy didn’t impact passenger traffic in any way.
“We did not see an impact regarding customers choosing to fly. In 2025, Avelo carried a record 2.6 million customers on scheduled commercial service, 11% higher than in 2024,” the airline said.
Avelo this week announced the upcoming closure of bases in Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington, NC.
The airline is also adding a base in McKinney, Texas later this year.
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