Avelo Airlines will become one of two airlines handling deportation flights starting next month. The new charter program is said to be a long-term endeavor, with employees working full-time.
Avelo’s founder and CEO also commented on the decision, saying it would expand passenger service and guarantee steady employment for airline workers.
Avelo Becomes an ‘Exit Airline’
Avelo Airlines signed a deal with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate the flights. The carrier will use three Boeing 737-800s for the operation. The deportation charter program is said to be ‘long-term’ with no definitive end as of this writing.
These deportation flights will originate at Mesa Gateway Airport (AZA) in Mesa, Arizona. Avelo will join GlobalX to become the second carrier operating deportation flights from AZA.
Avelo Airlines is hiring flight attendants for these charter flights. The base pay is $28 per hour, and there is a guarantee of at least 75 hours monthly.
Avelo officials say that during this program, Avelo can use the 737-800s for passenger flights when not used for deportation flights. However, there will not be a mix of passengers and deportees on the same flight.
Avelo Brass Defends Blowback
The move to work with the Trump Administration has been met with criticism from many online users. A Change.org petition sponsored by the organization itself received 19,412 signatures as of this writing.
Avelo Airlines CEO and Founder Andrew Levy anticipated the deal would face criticism but argued that it would help the company’s bottom line and workforce:
‘We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic…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.’
The Trump Administration’s border enforcement policies have greatly limited border crossings, though close to 10,000 immigrants still attempted to enter the country illegally in both February and March.
