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3mo ago

Avelo Airlines Launches ICE Deportation Flights from Arizona, Drawing Criticism

The budget carrier's first flight under a DHS charter agreement departs Mesa Gateway Airport, facing union safety concerns, public protests, and calls for transparency.

Passengers walk in front of Mesa Gateway Airport, where Avelo Airlines started making deportation flights on behalf of the federal government on Monday, May 12, 2025, in Mesa, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Avelo Airlines, the Houston-based low-cost carrier, said it would charter flights from Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona using three Boeing 737-800 aircraft in collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The flights began on Monday. (SALWAN GEORGES/WASHINGTON POST FILE)
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Faith leaders listen to a speaker at a protest against Avelo Airlines' deportation flights outside Tweed New Haven Airport on May 12, 2025. Credit: Shahrzad Rasekh / CT Mirror

Overview

  • Avelo Airlines conducted its first deportation flight on May 12, 2025, under a Department of Homeland Security charter agreement signed in April.
  • The inaugural flight, using a Boeing 737-800, departed Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona for Alexandria, Louisiana, and returned the same day.
  • The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA criticized the operation, citing safety risks posed by shackled detainees during emergencies or medical situations.
  • Protests and boycott petitions emerged in Arizona and Connecticut, with activists urging Avelo to reconsider its role in deportation logistics.
  • Key details of Avelo’s contract with ICE, including financial terms and destinations, remain undisclosed, fueling calls for greater transparency.