© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Avelo says it will run deportation flights out of Arizona, drawing condemnation in CT

FILE: Passengers board an Avelo 737 at Burbank airport Tuesday, April 26, 2022.
MediaNews Group
/
Getty Images
FILE: Passengers board an Avelo 737 at Burbank airport Tuesday, April 26, 2022.

Avelo Airlines, an airline with a hub at Tweed New Haven Airport, confirmed Monday it plans to work with the federal government to run deportation flights out of Mesa, Arizona.

The agency says it will run a long-term charter program for the Department of Homeland Security with “domestic and international trips to support DHS's deportation efforts,” according to an April 2025 job posting.

The deportation flights will be carried out by three 737-800 airplanes based at Mesa Gateway Airport starting on May 12, the company said Monday in a statement.

“We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” Avelo Airlines Founder and CEO Andrew Levy said. “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.”

The move drew immediate condemnation from the New Haven Immigrant Coalition, which is calling for a boycott of the airline on social media and through an online petition.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, a Democrat, told the New Haven Independent the airline's decision was “deeply disappointing and disturbing.”

“For a company that champions themselves as ‘New Haven’s hometown airline,’ this business decision is antithetical to New Haven’s values,” Elicker said.

The Houston-headquartered Avelo has expanded at Tweed in New Haven in recent years and also added service from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. Monday’s statement on the company’s upcoming work with ICE did not mention either Connecticut facility.

Avelo says it will open a base in Mesa for Avelo pilots, flight attendants and aircraft technicians, as well as appropriate local leaders.

Connecticut Public's Matt Dwyer contributed to this report.

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Fund the Facts

You just read trusted, local journalism that’s free for everyone, thanks to donors like you.

If that matters to you, now is the time to give. Join the 50,000+ members powering honest reporting and a more connected — and civil! — Connecticut.

Related Content
Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.