A Texas-based airline that was contracted by the Trump administration to deport migrants has been forced to cut back flights due to financial struggles, months after activists called for a boycott of the company.
Avelo Airlines, based in Houston, announced it would be cutting back their operation at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Burbank, California, to just one plane until December 2, when they would close the base entirely, Reuters reported.
The company explained the reason for the decision as that it believed the location “will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop.” Avelo Airlines denied that their conclusion was reached without influence from boycotts or the Trump administration contract.
Back in April, Avelo Airlines agreed to a “charter program” with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to offer both domestic and international flights for the Trump administration’s deportation efforts, as reported at the time by Houston Public Media.
Andrew Levy, the airline’s founder and CEO, said in a statement that while they understood that the flights, which began with the airline May 12, are “a sensitive and complicated topic,” the agreement with DHS offered the company “stability” and security for their employees.
After news of the airline’s partnership went public, the company faced immediate backlash from critics of the Trump administration and advocates for migrants.
The New Haven Immigrants Coalition, a Connecticut-based network immigrants’ rights organizations, started a petition that has since garnered nearly 40,000 signatures pledging to boycott the airline unless they ended their contract with the Trump administration.
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, a flight attendants union with members from Avelo Airlines, issued a statement obtained by the New York Times in May warning that having “an entire flight of people handcuffed and shackled” could “impede” their ability to adequately do their jobs, and presents higher risks in case of an emergency.
Homegrown protests have also simply featured protestors organizing outside of airports the airline operates out of, with planned protests continuing into the future.
Originally published on Latin Times
