From August 5-10, 2025, communities in dozens of U.S. cities are staging protests against Avelo Airlines. They are demanding the ultra-low-cost carrier terminate its contract with the Department of Homeland Security for ICE deportation flights.

Activists in states like North Carolina, Illinois, Michigan, California, Delaware, New York, Florida, and Maine are organizing demonstrations at airports, political offices, and public spaces.

These actions include vigils, street theater, banner drops, and a robust online campaign involving thousands.

As Avelo seeks to grow its fleet and shift operations to the East Coast, protesters argue that profiting from deportations is unsustainable and harmful to the airline’s reputation.

In cities like Burbank, California, community pressure and boycotts have compounded financial strains. Avelo will scale down its Burbank hub by August 12, 2025, and fully exit by December 2, 2025.

Despite achieving an 80% load factor on most West Coast routes, Avelo cited high operating costs and competition from larger carriers like Alaska, Delta, and Southwest as reasons for the retreat.

Nikki Marín Baena, Co-Director of Siembra NC, highlighted the growing backlash: “Avelo is profiting from illegal renditions, but support is fading.”

“Thousands of customers are choosing competitors, and cities are directing employees to avoid Avelo. People nationwide stand with immigrants and demand due process.”

Faith Communities Join the Fight

Faith groups are amplifying the call for accountability. Jill A. Warren of St. Matthew United Methodist Church, alongside Rev. Robert Schoenhals, announced a prayer vigil to underscore their stance.

“We believe action is the best prayer,” Warren said. “Faith communities are watching Avelo and urging them to end this contract.” These vigils aim to draw attention to the moral implications of Avelo’s ICE partnership.

Financial Struggles and Ethical Criticism

Critics describe Avelo as a struggling company making unethical choices. Matthew Boulay of the Stop Avelo coalition stated, “Avelo’s ICE contract is blood money—profit over people. They strip their logo from planes, painting them white to hide their shame. We’re glad to see them falter.”

It remains uncertain just how much the community backlash is affecting the low-cost carrier.

Nevertheless, the airline’s financial woes are evident as it seeks capital through revenue-raising efforts and new flight paths, particularly in the Southeast.

Avelo insists that its decision to close West Coast operations was driven by financial challenges, not protests or its ICE contract.

CEO Andrew Levy stated, “There is rarely one singular reason why decisions like this are made. We believe the continuation of service from [Hollywood Burbank Airport] in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop.”

The airline emphasized that despite significant investments, West Coast operations were unprofitable due to high costs and competition.

Avelo’s spokesperson, Courtney Goff, added, “Protests, nor our contract with DHS, had any effect on our decision and did not impact our business.”

Fleet Expansion & East Coast Focus

Despite its West Coast exit, Avelo is pushing to grow its fleet. The airline currently operates 22 Boeing 737 aircraft (14 737-800s and 8 737-700s), all leased.

In 2024, Avelo added four Boeing 737s and plans to lease three more in 2025, with deliveries expected by mid-year.

The airline is in talks with lessors to further expand its fleet, though specifics remain undisclosed. Avelo is redirecting resources to its East Coast bases in New Haven, Connecticut; Orlando, Florida; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Wilmington, Delaware; and Lakeland, Florida.

New bases in Charlotte and Wilmington, North Carolina, are planned for spring 2025.

This shift targets underserved markets and leisure destinations with less competition. It leverages Avelo’s low-cost model and its 2024 ranking as America’s most reliable airline, with an 83.9% on-time performance rate.

Looking Ahead

Avelo’s Southeast expansion has intensified resistance. Tristan Call, national coordinator for the DSA Avelo boycott in Nashville, said, “Avelo thinks the Southeast is an easy target, but they’re wrong. We’re expanding the boycott to show that people everywhere reject corporations violating human rights.”

Campaigns like “AvelNO” in Connecticut highlight Avelo’s ICE contract, further damaging its reputation in liberal-leaning cities.

Meanwhile, Avelo pursues fleet growth and new routes—serving 53 destinations across 21 states, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.

What appears evident is the scale of public backlash risks potential reputational damage for the family-friendly airline.

Just how much this will threaten the budget carrier’s ambitious growth plans and longer term success remains to be seen.