MacArthur carrier Avelo Airlines ending ICE partnership to fly deportees out of U.S.
Avelo Airlines, which operates at MacArthur Airport, will end its partnership with the federal government to fly deported migrants out of the United States from its hub in Arizona. Credit: Barry Sloan
Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier that operates from Long Island MacArthur Airport, will end its partnership with the federal government to fly deported migrants out of the United States from its hub in Arizona.
Company officials made the announcement Wednesday, saying that because of related expenses and logistic challenges, the airline would no longer operate a hub at Mesa Gateway Airport outside Phoenix by Jan. 27, and "will conclude all participation" in the charter flight program.
Avelo was the only commercial airline partnering with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to transport detained migrants for deportation. It reached an agreement last year to operate the flights for ICE out of Arizona, in addition to ICE flights at four other government hubs.
Avelo officials said Wednesday all of the deportation flights were out of Arizona and none flew out of MacArthur, in Ronkonkoma, or New York City airports.
"The program provided short-term benefits but ultimately did not deliver enough consistent and predictable revenue to overcome its operational complexity and costs," the airline said in a statement.
The Houston-based airline began offering commercial flights out of MacArthur in May to North Carolina and Florida. It joined other airlines including Frontier, Southwest, Breeze Airways and JetBlue operating at the Town of Islip airport.
Assemb. Michaelle Solages (D-Elmont) and State Sen. Patricia Fahy (D-Albany) had sponsored a bill last year, known as the SAFE Air Act, that aimed to ban public entities from contracting with airlines that deported detainees without due process.
Both the Senate and Assembly versions of the bill remain in committee. The proposed legislation is also aimed at banning tax exemptions on fuel sold to airlines used for deportation flights.
Avelo officials said the brief partnership with ICE did not deter air traffic last year. The airline said it carried 2.6 million passengers last year, an 11% increase from 2024.
John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.
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