SANTA ROSA, Calif.—Low-cost airline carrier Avelo will open a new base in Arizona, offering deportation flying services for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and reduce its commercial services at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport in Northern California.
The company has signed a deal with ICE, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security, to support a “long-term charter program” to support deportation efforts, Avelo said in an emailed statement on April 10.
“We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” Avelo Airlines founder and CEO Andrew Levy said in the 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.”…