Avelo Airlines Ends DHS Contract
Avelo Airlines has announced it will no longer conduct migrant deportation flights for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), concluding its contract supporting U.S. government immigration enforcement. The Houston-based carrier, established in 2021, stated that the agreement for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights did not adequately improve its financial standing.
Operational Changes
As a result, Avelo will close its hub at Mesa Gateway Airport in Phoenix on January 27, which served as the base for its migrant flight operations. An Avelo spokesperson confirmed the termination of its involvement in the DHS charter program, noting that the program offered short-term advantages but did not generate sufficient consistent and predictable revenue to offset operational complexities and costs. Avelo currently operates low-cost flights from four U.S. hubs to various destinations and plans to open a fifth base in Dallas in late 2026.
DHS and Subcontractors
DHS has historically partnered with CSI Aviation, which subcontracted Avelo for air charter services to ICE. DHS also subcontracts with other charter companies, such as GlobalX, which managed over half of DHS' charter flights in 2025, as reported by ICE Flight Monitor at Human Rights First. DHS stated that ICE never directly contracted with Avelo Airlines and affirmed its continued use of its contracted service provider, which collaborates with various airlines to facilitate deportations.
Context and Reactions
In April, Avelo founder and CEO Andrew Levy had expressed confidence that the deportation business would contribute to the airline's growth, acknowledging the "sensitive and complicated" nature of these flights. The Mesa charter program had been a subject of public criticism and protests regarding its association with ICE. The Indivisible Project, a non-profit organization involved in protests against Avelo Airlines, commended the carrier's decision to terminate its DHS contract. Ezra Levin, co-executive director of Indivisible, stated that communities nationwide had protested Avelo Airlines' deportation flights and claimed Avelo ceased its contracts following a period of declining sales and canceled commercial flights.