Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines to End West Coast Flights by December

Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines confirmed on Monday that it will end West Coast flights by December.

According to the Texas-based carrier, only one aircraft will operate from Hollywood Burbank Airport from August 12th until the base closes on December 2nd.

Avelo management stated that the decision was motivated by several unspecified reasons, but stated that continuing Burbank service “will not deliver adequate financial returns.”

Instead, Avelo will continue operating on the East Coast, where it launched a network of flights years after its debut from Burbank in April 2021.

Deportation Flights

The airline’s financial situation was already worrying when it signed an agreement with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate deportation flights under the policy implemented by the Trump administration until 2025.

Its fleet of 22 aging Boeing 737s was partially idle, so the contract was seen as a way to keep it flying.

But the deportation flights sparked a backlash from a portion of the public opposed to the administration’s policy, especially in California, where several protests against Avelo took place.

Protesters are calling for a boycott of the carrier due to its support for mass deportations. Avelo, however, denied that the decision was related to the drop in demand on the West Coast.

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Ricardo Meier

Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.

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