Ultra-low-cost carrier Avelo will start operating deportation flights. The airline – which began service in 2021 – says it inked a new contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This agreement is for a “long-term charter program,” which will include three Boeing 737-800s based at Phoenix/Mesa Gateway Airport. “Flights will be both domestic and international to support the Department’s deportation efforts,” a company spokesperson told AirlineGeeks in a statement.
Avelo’s new ICE contract operations will launch on May 12. As part of this deal, the airline says it will open a pilot, flight attendant, and aircraft maintenance base at the Arizona airport. Local hiring for these positions will begin “immediately.”
“We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” Avelo’s founder and CEO, Andrew Levy, said in a statement. “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.”
Previous Mesa/Gateway Service
The airline previously served Phoenix/Mesa Gateway as one of its first stations, but its scheduled passenger flights to the airport ended in late 2021.
ICE Air is made up of several air carriers that carry out deportations on behalf of the agency. GlobalX is among the largest ICE Air carriers.
“ICE Air Operations is capable of facilitating the removal of alien nationals from any location in the continental United States to anywhere in the world via commercial airline or charter aircraft, ensuring their safe and humane return to their countries of origin,” stated Deputy Assistant Director for ICE Air Operations Katrina S. Kane.
