Avelo Airlines plans to stop running deportation flights for the Trump administration later this month after deciding that its participation in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program is too complex and costly to continue. Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff confirmed that coming move for the budget airline in an email comment sent to the Independent on Wednesday. “Avelo will close the base at AZA [in Mesa, Arizona] on January 27 and will conclude participation in the DHS charter program,” Goff wrote. “The program provided short-term benefits but ultimately did not deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs.” AZ Family, a local news outlet in Phoenix, first reported on Avelo’s decision to end its deportation flights, which began out of Arizona last May — prompting a New Haven-based boycott movement, condemnation from politicians and activists across the country, and frequent protests outside of Tweed New Haven Airport, where Avelo has been flying direct commercial flights (but not deportation flights) since November 2021. Avelo CEO Andrew Levy previously defended the company’s decision to run deportation flights on financial grounds, stating that the DHS contract was necessary to maintain Avelo’s operations, including its service of New Haveners. Click here to read an American Prospect report from November 2025 on Avelo’s “sloppy, dangerous deportation flights.” “The big lesson here is that human suffering is not profitable,” said Pastor Jack Perkins Davidson of Hamden’s Spring Glen Church in a phone interview with the Independent Wednesday. “I hope Avelo and all corporations in the U.S. have learned that valuable lesson, that collaborating with injustice and collaborating with racism, though it may for them provide the allure of short-term gain, are empty promises. There is no benefit.” In a separate comment provided to the Independent Wednesday, Tabitha Sookdeo, the executive director of Connecticut Students for a Dream (C4D) and a fellow leader of the Avelo protest movement, said, “No airline should be in the business of transporting human beings in chains. This decision shows that when communities organize and refuse to spend their money on harm, corporations listen. People have power. This is what it looks like.” Some of the groups that led the local protest movement against Avelo’s deportation contract included C4D, the New Haven Immigrants Coalition, Unidad Latina en Acción, and Democratic Socialists of America, among others. Goff’s confirmation of Avelo’s decision to stop flying deportation flights also comes a day after she sent out a separate email press release Tuesday night under the subject line: “Avelo Airlines Reiterates Long-Term Commitment to Connecticut.” “Avelo Airlines has been recapitalized, and its cash position is now one of the strongest in the U.S. airline industry relative to its size,” that Tuesday press release states. “The airline will use this cash infusion and balance sheet strength to execute its long-term strategy, with emphasis on further developing its key base at Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN).” The press release states that Avelo will “continue to operate a six-aircraft base” at Tweed “without major changes to the existing network or to its Crewmember employment at the airport.” Across the country, Avelo will be “streamlining its network” around four different locations: New Haven’s Tweed airport (HVN); Wilmington, Delaware’s ILG airport; Charlotte, North Carolina’s Douglas International Airport (USA), and Lakeland, Florida’s airport (LAL). Avelo will also open a base at the McKinney, Texas airport (TKI) in “late 2026,” and it will close bases in Mesa, Arizona (AZA); Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU); and Wilmington, North Carolina (ILM). “Concurrent with these network changes, Avelo will make near-term schedule changes that will impact many Customer itineraries. Communication will be sent directly to impacted Customers by email and text. Customers needing additional help can seek assistance from Avelo’s Customer Support Center.” Avelo will also modify its fleet to remove six Boeing Next-Generation 737-700 aircraft, “leaving the airline primarily operating its more efficient Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft. These changes enable Avelo to focus on sustainably scaling five core bases in 2026 and to prepare the company for growth in the coming years, facilitated by the company’s recent order for up to 100 Embraer 195-E2 aircraft.” Tuesday’s press release ends by stating that Avelo will continue to fly directly from Tweed to the following 24 destinations: “New Haven is Avelo’s largest base – employing nearly 300 Crewmembers and offering service to 24 nonstop destinations,” Tuesday’s press release states. “Since taking flight from HVN in November 2021, Avelo has flown more than four million Customers at Tweed on over 30,000 flights.” All of this comes as Tweed New Haven Airport continues to move forward with plans to extend its runway and build a new, larger terminal on the East Haven side of the property in a bid to attract more commercial air traffic. Avelo and fellow budget airline Breeze are the only two commercial carriers currently operating out of Tweed. Critics of the airport’s expansion, meanwhile, have consistently warned of increased flooding, air pollution, and excess noise and traffic that comes with a larger airport. Oh look, everyone who was saying boycotts and protests don’t work were wrong again. Avelo Airlines stopped deportation flights because the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) program didn’t provide enough consistent revenue to cover its high operational costs and complexities, despite initial promises, leading to the closure of their Mesa, Arizona base and a strategic shift back to core commercial routes, following significant public backlash and protests. Looks like the protesters got what they wanted. The question is will those protesters now turn their efforts into protesting the expansion of Tweed? Also, on Avelos part why disrupt customers who have already booked and paid for flights by canceling them? Why not just stop scheduling flights after the last booked flight? This will just annoy and frustrate customers more I agree that cancelling previously booked flights is bad for customer satisfaction and the company’s reputation. They should have completed their already booked flights and then ended service after the last flight. There will be protestors against Tweed expansion, which will hopefully pressure Tweed to do everything in their power to mitigate noise, flooding, ground and air pollution, traffic issues, and to protect wildlife from harm. Pressuring Tweed to be the best neighbor they can be and to improve things for the area around them, won’t stop the expansion, but it could make things better for everyone concerned than it is right now. The area flooding is a huge factor that the US Army Corp Of Engineers should be designing a plan for to absorb, filter and clean, and redirect flood water and rainwater, while also absorbing sound and not attracting wildlife for safety. Heather, I have lived next door to the airport for 40 years and in all that time there were few issues, airlines came and went, presidents came and went, airshows, etc. And then Avelo came in. The 800 planes are simply too large for the surrounding area, every time one takes off my entire house is rattling. In contrast, you barely notice the Breeze planes, they are far quieter and more limited in number.The expansion will not address that issue or the issue of the number of flights at all hours. I am not particularly opposed to the airport expansion but it needs to be done in relation to the densely populated surrounding residential area. I honestly do not expect that to ever be the case at this point. There are three separate issues, Avelo’s deportation flights, the impact of current Tweed service on the surrounding areas, and the proposed expansion of the airport. I’m sure there are people opposed to all three. I am equally some people are focused on the deportation flights. Interesting; I’m unclear why those two things (deportation flights and the expansion of the airport) would be conflated and protested by the same people. William Kurtz, I have not been involved in the protests, so I don’t know whether there was in fact a substantial overlap among the protesters. But the American public has become much more ideologically consistent in their views. If you tell me your position on climate change, I can make a good guess on your position on abortion, even though the two issues are largely unrelated. Thank goodness Avelo decided that participating in morally wrong actions by our government isn’t profitable. I predict many more customers will be flying out of Tweed and Avelo’s other locations once again. I hope they will consider flights to New Orleans, Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Anchorage, Milwaukee, Detroit, Minneapolis/St Paul, St Louis, Columbus, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, and the US Virgin Islands. The Board of Alders unanimously approved the Tweed expansion benefiting none other than… you got it: Avelo! Unfortunately, I don’t think the protest and uproar actually *did* anything. Sure, the deportations ended, but why? Is it because the Avelo CEO has developed a bleeding heart and realized that kidnapping people to foreign countries is immoral? Is it because your supposedly-far-left masters (Board of Alders) realized a deal could be struck to minimize liberal rage across New Haven? Has the Tweed expansion merely substituted revenue from DHS partnerships? Will the Avelo CEO sleep peacefully knowing that his bottom line remains undisturbed? When will it stop? These are some questions you should ponder. You don’t think a financial boycott of the airline who is now claiming financial reasons for ending deportation flights had anything to do with it? You can’t be serious. Well, that’s over. I’m willing to wager that not a few of those protesters were members of the 10,000 Hawks, looking for ANY reason to protest Tweed. Do I think those individuals who said they weren’t going to fly Avelo as long as they were in the deportation business will change their minds? Nah. Kudos to the power of effective, organized, and purposeful community organizing. This is progress. Where is a quote from CEO Andrew Levy or some Avelo peon that sounds anything like an apology, an admission of deep ethical error, an acknowledgement that the work they were doing on behalf of the government was of course unproftable but also horribly wrong? All they can muster is saying they couldn’t “overcome its operational complexity and costs.” In addition to ‘commitment to Connecticut,’ how about commitment to people. Interesting!!! The only reason Avelo is abandoning this business is because the routes are not making enough money for them the article states which translates to “pay us more money and we will gladly do it again” Note they are not stopping because of the immoral, inhumane, illegal, cruelty of their actions. So bottom line for this writer is they are still a rotten to the core business and I will NEVER do business with them and I hope you all feel the same because its the right thing to do. Alright, nice job Social Justice Warriors! What’s next on the list to boycott? Yale? I’ll give credit where credit is due, you accomplished your goal peacefully. Unlike those January 6th Capitol rioters that vandalized, murdered and attempted a coup to overthrow the Government of the United States at the direction of The Great Pumpkin. Antifa and BLM would never engage in such conduct.🙄 I flew out of Tweed today on Avelo. Plane was full. They literally had to pay 3 passengers $1000+ and a free flight to take a Friday flight (instead of today, Wednesday) to get the weight of the aircraft down to an allowable level given the wind and weather. We sat for almost an hour as the bid/ask went from $600 to $750, to we’ll over $1000… I don’t know where it finally settled. One thing I’m sure of, the “boycott” didn’t impact Avelo over the last 9 months. I’ve flown multiple times and every flight has been full or nearly full. The “boycott” was purely performative for our activists. It lacked traveler support. And many passengers on my flights were Hispanic. So the “boycott” didn’t resonate even with the most impacted communities. What an incredible resource we have now in Tweed and the expansion. I feel for the local residents (a tiny little bit) but every neighborhood has its issues (traffic/ highway/ air pollution / crime/homeless/ addicts, treatment centers ,etc). You get the good and the bad living in a small city. I hope they build a resilient airport during my lifetime so we don’t lose Avelo and Breeze. Every demographic needs convenient local air travel. Just my 2 cents. Happy 2026. The runway expansion will help with issues with weight restrictions and wind shear and needing more length for the runway to safely take off and land in inclement weather. And floodwater mitigation measures will help neighbors as well as airline passengers by reducing flood water interfering with flights. And improving traffic issues will help the neighbors as well as passengers and employees of the airport. There is a lot of good in pressuring the airport to be thoughtful and responsible and to mitigate any issues in their quest to expand the runway and relocate the terminal to the East Haven side off a state road almost directly from the highway and on more commercial and industrial zoned streets. I live in the flight path but further away. I hear the planes come in low over my home. It’s annoying but I have friends and relatives who live nearby the airport. I know air pollution from the highways traffic is much more impactful than from the airplanes. And it’s much more likely that you would be in a vehicle accident than impacted by a plane crash. And I know it will be good for the Greater New Haven and Shoreline area to have a viable airport alternative to Bradley or NY/NJ or Boston for US travel, for vacations, snowbirds, business, hospitals, colleges and universities, and other reasons. And now that Avelo has gotten out of the deportation business, I have friends and family members who will use the airport regularly and very much enjoy not having to go almost into Massachusetts to Bradley, or go to NY/NJ to catch a flight down to the Mid Atlantic, down South, to the Midwest, and hopefully eventually to the Caribbean, the Southwest, and West Coast. Ah, and for the worst reason possible: not profitable enough. Not because they’re human beings and there’s tons of evidence that the Trump administration is systematically denying Constitutional due process rights & shipping completely nonviolent people off to foreign megaprisons. I guess the boycott is over, but if there’s a choice I will continue to fly Breeze. ethanjrt, correct, it has nothing to do with a change of heart or the boycott, it has everything to due with the almighty dollar, it’s all about money and always has been. Everybody might want to keep a sharp eye on the cost for the fares because they might go up a bit to make up for what Avelo loss while working for uncle Sam. WaxOff Got a good laugh reading comments that the protests caused avelo to stop deportation flights? Anyone who believes that has their head in the clouds. Money talks and b.s. walks. This deportation program, obvious to anyone with a brain, is no longer profitable for them,business like avelo ‘s are flying to make money not lose it. As one reader commented he’s flown avelo numerous times and planes are full so all the lefty and illegal immigrant supporters can pound their chest all they want but bottom line is their protest were and are a waste of time