Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that began operations at Sonoma County's Charles M. Schulz Airport last year, will cease operations on May 1 and redirect its efforts toward a new, government-focused venture. This pivot comes after the airline struck a deal to conduct deportation flights for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration Control and Enforcement (ICE), sparking immediate backlash among local leaders and community advocates.
In a statement sent to KTVU, an Avelo spokesperson cited "low demand" and financial challenges as the reasons for departing the Northern California region. Despite these declared struggles, the timing of their departure aligns closely with the commencement of their deportation flights out of Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, beginning May 12. Avelo maintains that employees can transfer to other locations where the airline has openings, yet acknowledges that some will not make the move.
Andrew Levy, CEO of Avelo Airlines, recognized the delicate nature of this new contract, stating, per KRON4, "We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic," and emphasized that the company's decision emerged from significant deliberations. He expressed that providing charter flights for ICE "will provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 crew members employed for years to come," in a sentiment echoed to KTVU.
The reaction to Avelo's shift in operational focus has been swift and heated. Local Sonoma County Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was quoted by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat emphatically stating Avelo would "never get another dime from me." Meanwhile, Connecticut's New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker reached out to Levy, beseeching a change of course. "Travel should be about bringing people together, not tearing families apart," Elicker wrote, per KTVU. The state's Attorney General also penned a letter expressing his concerns over this significant change in Avelo's business strategy.
