An airline which has been operating deportation flights for the Trump administration has announced major closures after furious pro-migrant protests at several airports.
Texas-based budget carrier Avelo Airlines said this week that it will close down its west coast operations at Hollywood Burbank Airport as it struggles financially.
The company said it will reduce its operation at the airport to one aircraft until December 2 and then close the base which currently serves 13 routes.
Avelo said the protests and its contract with DHS did not have any effect on its decision to close the base and have not impacted its business.
‘We believe the continuation service from (Burbank) in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop,’ the company said in a statement.
However, the airport has been the target of several fiery rallies by pro-migrant protesters who have hailed the closure as a response to their calls for a boycott.
They include Nancy Klein, from Hollywood, California, who organized seven protests with activist groups CA27Indivisible and East Valley Indivisible in Southern California.
‘This change in Avelo’s business operations is some evidence that being on the right side of history, while being principled and persistent, can make a difference,’ Klein said, adding that another protest is planned at Burbank Airport on July 27.
The airline signed a contract with the US Department of Homeland Security in April to transport migrants to detention centers inside and outside America.
It faced backlash from customers and employees over its partnership with the DHS.
Protests unfolded across the country from outside the Burbank Airport to their hub in New Haven, Connecticut, calling on the airline to end its partnership with the DHS and for customers to boycott the carrier.
Susan Auerback slammed Avelo for using migrant deportations ‘for their economic benefit’ during a protest at Burbank airport earlier this year.
‘We will not stand for these mass deportations and we will intervene wherever we can to stop the operation of them,’ she told ABC7 reporters at the scene on April 28.
‘Protesting an airline that has just decided that this is for their economic benefit to be part of this unjust policy is why we’re here.’
Avelo’s CEO, Andrew Levy, defended the decision at the time, adding that the airline also operated deportation flights under the Biden administration.
‘We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,’ Levy said in a statement.
‘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.’
Avelo said it had made several changes over the past few years to its West Coast operations but they did not produce the results necessary to continue presence there.
Commercial flights to west coast locations are no longer available to buy on the Avelo website.
The Daily Mail has contacted Avelo for clarity on when commercial listings were dropped, and more information on the DHS operations.
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