US ultra low cost carrier Avelo Airlines is expanding its business model, with a new kind of charter flying (thanks to Ed for flagging this).
In this post:
Avelo will operate deportation flights from Mesa
Avelo Airlines has announced that it has signed an agreement with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration Control and Enforcement agency, to carry out deportation flights. Specifically, the airline will be basing three Boeing 737s at Arizona’s Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA), with flights expected to start as of May 12, 2025.
Here’s how Avelo CEO Andrew Levy describes this development:
“Having a portion of our company dedicated to charter flying, without exposure to fluctuating fuel prices or risk from macroeconomic factors, provides us with the stability to grow our core business, which is scheduled passenger travel.”
For context, Avelo currently has a fleet of 20 Boeing 737s, and the company has actually done quite a good job with running a profitable operation, given the challenging environment for small players. In particular, Avelo has done an impressive job setting up big bases at underserved airports, and essentially creating demand.
Say what you will about these deportation flights (I certainly have a lot to say, but let’s save it for another venue), but I can see why an airline CEO would want that steady, profitable stream of income, especially with the level of uncertainty that airlines are now facing.
Avelo is hiring deportation flight attendants
Per a job posting, Avelo Airlines is hiring dedicated flight attendants to work these deportation flights. As the job listing describes it:
This opportunity is for a charter program for the Department of Homeland Security. Flights will be both domestic and international trips to support DHS’s deportation efforts.
The description otherwise seems to be the same as it would be for standard flight attendants, with things like “treat each customer with kindness and respect.”
GlobalX is a charter operator that also does a lot of deportation flying, and as I recently wrote about, flight attendants have exposed just how unpleasant these flights are to work, and how they can’t interact with passengers in any way.
I at least commend Avelo for transparently hiring flight attendants for this kind of work, rather than just saying “oh, you’re going to operate charter flights,” and then they find out what they’re really doing. Based on what we’ve learned about these roles, this definitely isn’t a flight attendant dream job, that’s for sure.
I honestly struggle to think who would want to work these flights, because this seems like the worst kind of flight attendant job there is. I mean, I guess you don’t actually have to do a whole lot, but still.
Avelo emphasizes that existing employees also have the option to transfer to this base, but I can’t imagine interest will be that high…
Bottom line
Avelo Airlines will begin operating deportation flights, often referred to as “ICE Air.” Specifically, the airline will base three Boeing 737s at Mesa Airport in Arizona, and the airline is even hiring dedicated crews to work these flights. The company’s CEO explains that this provides a steady stream of income, in an otherwise uncertain environment.
What do you make of Avelo getting into the deportation flying business?
Avelo can choose to make money on the misfortunes of others and I can choose to NEVER give a dime to Avelo. Watching the cases of people who are erroneously deported and then watching our government refuse to bring them home while flipped the middle finger to the judiciary is a road too far for me. If the US government and, by extension its contractors, choose to deport undocumented immigrants, so be it. But, if...
Avelo can choose to make money on the misfortunes of others and I can choose to NEVER give a dime to Avelo. Watching the cases of people who are erroneously deported and then watching our government refuse to bring them home while flipped the middle finger to the judiciary is a road too far for me. If the US government and, by extension its contractors, choose to deport undocumented immigrants, so be it. But, if you make a mistake and deport someone who wasn;t supposed to be deported have the decency and humanity to bring them back.
The vast majority deported have already been been ordered to leave by the courts, overstayed their visas, or are not here lawfully. With regard to person you mentioned, the administration is appealing the ruling by the district court judge which is their right. We will see if the Supreme Court takes the case. You act as if most of the deportations have been American citizens. It is abit rich with your comment about his contempt...
The vast majority deported have already been been ordered to leave by the courts, overstayed their visas, or are not here lawfully. With regard to person you mentioned, the administration is appealing the ruling by the district court judge which is their right. We will see if the Supreme Court takes the case. You act as if most of the deportations have been American citizens. It is abit rich with your comment about his contempt for the judiciary when his opponents sought to use it play lawfare against him.
Yeah, not like Trump withheld Congressionally allocated aid to extort a foreign head of state, nor did he tell the GA Secretary of State to find him exactly the number of votes he needed to win the state in 2020, nor did he take top secret official documents home with him and store them in a bathroom, nor did he incite a mob to occupy the capitol and prevent the transfer of power. Oh wait,...
Yeah, not like Trump withheld Congressionally allocated aid to extort a foreign head of state, nor did he tell the GA Secretary of State to find him exactly the number of votes he needed to win the state in 2020, nor did he take top secret official documents home with him and store them in a bathroom, nor did he incite a mob to occupy the capitol and prevent the transfer of power. Oh wait, he did all those things and spineless Repubs in Congress are the sole reason he escaped the consequences of his actions. I would simply not have committed these crimes were I in his position, but I guess I'm just built different.
In a few months these will be the only people flying.
Where the U.S. leads others are sure to follow, for good or bad, for better or for worse that is the question?
Every government of every country has a duty of care towards their legitimate citizens, many forget that fact in favour of the concept of the human rights of illegal immigrants.
As usual people are hysterical and moronic. Illegal immigration is illegal. There's a right and wrong way to claim asylum. Notice I don't see anyone here offering to pay for these people.
This is a business decision. It's probably pretty lucrative. Grow up.
Agreed 100%
The fascist regime in the USA is also deporting asylum seekers to the gulag in El Salvador. Have you read about Andry Romero ?
Trump is a mendacious narcissistic sociopathic troglodyte as is everyone who supports him. He’s just threatened China with 50% more tariffs. The USA imports $500 billion from China.
Boycott everything American. The rest of the world should sign new trade deals with other countries ensuring the US is excluded.
Ic, “Fascist regime”, “Gulag”, “Mendacious narcissistic sociopathic troglodyte” …. strong words rendered without meaningful context.
>There's a right and wrong way to claim asylum
In order to claim asylum, you must be physically present in the US or at a port of entry. Trump then barred asylum seekers from applying at a port of entry. So if you cannot get a visa to enter the US, your only alternative for seeking asylum is to illegally cross the border. It's a manufactured problem of Trump's own making. Biden reversed this,...
>There's a right and wrong way to claim asylum
In order to claim asylum, you must be physically present in the US or at a port of entry. Trump then barred asylum seekers from applying at a port of entry. So if you cannot get a visa to enter the US, your only alternative for seeking asylum is to illegally cross the border. It's a manufactured problem of Trump's own making. Biden reversed this, allowing asylum claims at ports of entry and registration via the CBP One app, while barring those who crossed the border illegally from claiming asylum. This both cut down on illegal crossings and increased the number of people who played by the rules and went through the CBP app, which Trump shut down again once he was back in office. At the end of the day, the problem is our broken immigration system that's stuck in 1990s quotas and rules. Absent Congress reforming it, the illegal immigration problem will never change.
Personally, my stand is that if you are in the US and the government wants to deport you, the government must give you due process in a court of law. None of this shady BS Trump pulled, picking people up on suspicion alone and flying them to a supermax prison in a country they aren't from. That's literal human trafficking.
Following the money, during the Biden admin Avelo was flying illegals on behalf of the federal government from border towns into the interior of the US.
www.change.org/NoICEflights
Avelo should be praised.
Avelo is not an ultra low cost airline.
The Trump administration has screwed up on a few individuals by deporting legal residents without due process. That is unacceptable and there should be consequences for those involved when that occurs. Despite those intolerable mistakes, virtually all of the forced deportations have been of those in the country illegally who have a criminal record and/or a pending deportation order. Deportations of these individuals is just and companies that assist the government in this process should...
The Trump administration has screwed up on a few individuals by deporting legal residents without due process. That is unacceptable and there should be consequences for those involved when that occurs. Despite those intolerable mistakes, virtually all of the forced deportations have been of those in the country illegally who have a criminal record and/or a pending deportation order. Deportations of these individuals is just and companies that assist the government in this process should be commended.
so what happens to those innocent ones caught up ??? f.. all it seems as the attitude of that US government is .. well it is only a few they can rot there.
They are brought back. You can count on one hand how many "Innocents" have been deported.
Provide evidence they’ve been brought back as it’s not true. There are also more than you may believe. Germany 1934. Republican Party = Nazis.
Sorry, AndyS, look at the news today: "Trump asks Supreme Court to block order requiring US to bring back man mistakenly deported to El Salvador"
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/politics/supreme-court-el-salvador-abrego-garcia/index.html
NCLawyer, would you consider the thousands that have been deported with pending asylum cases to be wrongful too?
The only way to address the wrongful deportations is through due process for everyone. Individuals must be provided counsel and a chance to plead their case in front of a judge. Once it has been proven that the individual is in the country illegally, then you can deport them.
There are multiple cases of innocent people being caught up in this and being deported and held in this max security jail in El Salvador.
This is in addition to Trump crashing the global economy. Trump and Vance should be on the next flight to The Hague.
The cases are less than 5.
Trump and Vance are patriots.
They're a bunch of bumbling idiots intentionally crashing our economy. They snuck hundreds of people out of the country to a supermax prison for cash payment, despite court orders to stop so that these people could receive the due process they are entitled to, and after being called on it they first claimed ignorance then said it was regrettable and refused to do anything about it, not even for the legitimate green card holders and...
They're a bunch of bumbling idiots intentionally crashing our economy. They snuck hundreds of people out of the country to a supermax prison for cash payment, despite court orders to stop so that these people could receive the due process they are entitled to, and after being called on it they first claimed ignorance then said it was regrettable and refused to do anything about it, not even for the legitimate green card holders and asylum seekers. Responsibility is alien to these clowns.
This might be United's backup plan this summer too, when the recession craters demand and they can't economically fly to Greenland or Adelaide or Ulaanbaatar anymore.
Could someone point out at least one "ultra low fare" of that or any other company that classiffies themself as ultra low cost? Or low cost airline?
LCC means low comfort, ULCC means ultra low comfort.
My favorite airline hands down is Omni Air International, most useful aitline ever.
LCC - Low Cost Carrier - refers to the operating model of the airline itself, *not* to the fares.
I have no issue with the deportation of convicted criminals (murder, robbery, rape, etc). I would think the majority of those illegally in the U.S. simply want to work. And that is where a solution is needed.
An easy solution, which neither political party has addressed while president, is to pass a law allowing for a new class of non-immigrant visa, a casual work visa. A visa specifically for those from the western hemisphere...
I have no issue with the deportation of convicted criminals (murder, robbery, rape, etc). I would think the majority of those illegally in the U.S. simply want to work. And that is where a solution is needed.
An easy solution, which neither political party has addressed while president, is to pass a law allowing for a new class of non-immigrant visa, a casual work visa. A visa specifically for those from the western hemisphere allowing them to work in the U.S. in any job that does not require a license or covered by an existing non-immigrant visa. This visa would cover casual labor such as construction labor, restaurant work, working at a department store, clerical/office, etc.
1) Must be renewed every three years. Run fingerprints to ensure no criminal convictions and bring 1040s and W-2s to show employment.
2) Can attend university, college, or trade schools, without needing a student visa. (As long as they are working to support themselves and cannot receive any Federal grants or loans).
3)They would not be entitled to any Federal benefits except unemployment compensation (employers pay into the fund based on employee salaries).
4) If they graduate with a bachelor degree and are hired by an employer, they would receive a three year work authorization for a job within the scope of their degree.
5) At the end of the three year work authorization the employer can, if they so choose, sponsor them for an employer based immigrant visa (Green Card).
This would allow for law abiding workers to pay taxes, work their way through college, and earn a green card.
An interesting scenario, however, the danger is that there are those who will scream “Slave labour”.
Furthermore, there are those nonsensical legal beagles who would just love to challenge such a government decision, so that their services are paid for by the taxpayers.
This would take a functional congress that actually passes thoughtful, comprehensive laws…
ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement... Not Immigration Control and Enforcement.
LICE
I will not ever fly Avelo. The lack of a moral compass at this airline is disgusting - participating in deportation flights which bypass due process and that judges have ruled are illegal defies explanation. Avelo is partnering with Fascism.
That Avelo's leadership team thinks this is a good idea suggests a very stupid, cruel and arrogant group of folks at the top - read the room, guys. Jesus Christ.
How about the moral compass of NOT illegally entering a country without a visa?
I'll bet you're cool with Lufthansa, Bayer, Audi and Krupp right?
Yep. But don't forget Mercedes Benz, IBM, Gaggenau, Bosch, BMW and countless others. Even Ford can make that list. Bumbling Bee must have a very short list of acceptable vendors.
Clearly BB, because people like you will not fly with Avelo, the airline has to make money from somewhere …. do you have a better suggestion?
Fly BA.
It comes with an alter ego apologist.
Most only have one personality Esk, however, you are quite the exception to the rule.
Another corporate example in the conga line of sycophants succumbing to the deplorable and unethical to appease Orange Putin and Elonia.
Shame on Avelo.
Praise avelo.
People need jobs right now. Nothing depressing about taking this gig if that's what you want.
Exactly business is business!
What wonderful American values.
Basing aircraft purely for deportation is both a depressing thought but shows you how woefully inefficient and expensive the cost of each individual's flight must be
It's a problem that was easily avoidable.
Just because something is difficult and/or expensive doesn't mean it isn't necessary.
You mean it’s cheaper to continue letting violent criminals get free housing, medical care, phones, internet, and schooling for their kids to the tune of $80,000 a year per illegal? Thats pretty inefficient and expensive.
God, the absolute way that brains like David Arnett's have been liquified by a diet of conservative propaganda is so embarrassing
THANK YOU AVELO
Reading the linked story about how crew work these flights, I don't know why the airline (and government) even goes through the pretense of having flight attendants. If these are prisoner transport flights, it's not like these are normal passengers with the same ability to move around/follow directions. And the door-operating role of the flight attendant can be learned in what, maybe 15 minutes? Just get rid of the requirement.
Immoral.
"why fly with the big 3 when you can fly Stasi Air?"
The real immorality was a wide open southern border.
Human trafficking (includingchildren), sexual exploitation, extortion and drug running were all directly related.
Hallelujah praise the Lord; hopefully he tanks our population of illegals as quickly as he is tanking our economy!
Nothing immoral about deporting criminals.