re: Budget Airline Cancels Its Deportation Contract With ICE, Citing ‘Political Controversy’

Houston based Airline,

ground them

Yep, let’s see how this works out for them.

This isn't the "victory" the left is claiming it to be.

The airline explicitly cited economic and operational reasons: the program provided short-term cash but lacked consistent, predictable revenue while requiring dedicated aircraft, a full base in Mesa, AZ, specialized crew training, and handling irregular government scheduling—making it too costly and complex for a low-cost leisure carrier like Avelo.

The exit was announced as part of a much larger restructuring: closing multiple bases (Mesa, Raleigh-Durham, Wilmington), cutting dozens of commercial routes, downsizing the fleet, and refocusing on five core markets after new capital investment. This is classic corporate belt-tightening, not a sudden moral stance.

Avelo consistently pointed out the "boycotts" were having no impact on their bookings.

DHS has been quietly shifting to internal assets for these ops for awhile now.

Bottom line: Avelo walked because the contract didn’t fit their model and wasn’t profitable enough long-term.

quote:

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Sounds like a prime opportunity for a small startup

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Adios Airlines

Perfect. No more government business for Avelo.

I'd likely be cheaper to stack them like sardines in the back of C137s.

What is an Avelo ? A Bahamian puddle jumper?