NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – Avelo Airlines, a low-cost carrier operating in dozens of markets across the U.S., will be closing its base in Mesa, Arizona, and concluding “all participation” in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) charter program that deported illegal immigrants from the U.S., according to the airline.
Avelo’s decision comes after months of pushback from criticism over the carrier’s participation in the DHS program.
“Avelo will close the base at AZA on January 27 and will conclude all participation in the DHS charter program. The program provided short-term benefits but ultimately did not deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs,” a spokesperson for Avelo wrote in a statement shared with Nexstar.
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Avelo’s statement did not say whether criticism over its DHS charter flights played a factor in the decision to discontinue participation. But in an email announcing the decision to Avelo employees on Tuesday, CEO Andrew Levy acknowledged that its participation “placed us in the center of a political controversy,” CNBC reported. Avelo’s spokesperson confirmed the veracity of the email…