In an announcement that highlights the crossroads of business and immigration enforcement, Houston-based Avelo Airlines has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to use three of its Boeing 737-800s stationed at Mesa Gateway Airport for deportation flights, starting May 12. The arrangement includes both domestic and international flights designed to support the agency's deportation efforts, as reported by 12News.
Andrew Levy, founder and CEO of Avelo Airlines, recognized the sensitivity of the issue, explaining in a statement obtained by 12News that, "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.” Besides providing employment stability, the move appears to also see the airline expanding its footprint by opening a new base at the Arizona airport and looking to hire pilots, flight attendants, and aircraft technicians locally, while existing Avelo employees are presented the first transfer opportunity.
The jobs on offer target "energetic, highly motivated" candidates, particularly for the role of flight attendants, with wages starting at $28 per hour as detailed in Avelo's job description. The use of commercial and charter flights by federal authorities for transferring and deporting migrants forms part of a broader strategy to implement immigration and deportation procedures, which AZ Family note is often supported by ICE's air operations division that also runs special high-risk charter flights when necessitated for the execution of final orders of removal or to manage those failing to comply with such orders, or deemed security threats.
According to Avelo's CEO, the prospect of embarking on charter services "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" as he told AZ Family, expanding further into the business sector while engaging in a venture closely tied to government policy implementation, which may prompt public discussion and ethical considerations.
