Image Credit: Avelo Airlines / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
During one of the busiest travel days of the year, a few dozen activists gathered at the Nashville International Airport (BNA) to protest Avelo Airlines based on reports the company has a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to run deportation flights for ICE.
On Sunday, around 40 protestors congregated along the entrance to the BNA passenger pick-up lanes and alongside Murfreesboro Pike, waving signs with slogans like “Avelo Flies, Families Die”, and chanting for Nashville to “de-ICE” its planes in an expression of their displeasure with the budget airline.
The Nashville event was one of 20 other protests around the county during the weekend organized by the Coalition to Stop Avelo, which has reportedly spent the last several months urging the public to boycott the Houston-based airline and lobbying lawmakers to block subsidies for it until it cancels its contract with ICE.
It has also gathered tens of thousands of signatures on a petition against the airline, and a release from the Coalition says the boycott’s pressure has forced Avelo “to pull out of 19 of their 51 destination cities, cutting more than 37% of their routes”.
They believe “thousands of the individuals on these flights have been denied due process, are being physically restrained and shackled in violation of FAA Air Safety regulations, and are being deported and separated from family under life-threatening circumstances.”
Per the release, the group is urging the Nashville City Council to pledge not to spend any city funds on the airline to “ensure public funds are not indirectly abetting inhumane and illegal deportation operations by Avelo.”
“People are kind of shocked at how affordable [Avelo’s] flights are. Well, someone’s underwriting that,” said Nashville boycott organizer Mike Lacy. “And on one hand, it’s the Immigration and Customs Enforcement [that] is underwriting it, but it is also the families of immigrants- many of whom have credible claims to asylum but are not having their cases held- that are underwriting your cheap flight.”
“Our message is that we will not spend our money- and we will encourage people not to spend their money- with any airline that is taking money to do this, to tear families apart,” said another protester.
Avelo Airlines supposedly signed a contract with ICE in April of this year to begin deportation flights out of Arizona with plans to open a crew base at the Mesa Gateway Airport to support the operations and increased number of flight attendants and aircraft technicians to work and service the charters.
But there appears to be some mixed messaging as company communications manager Courtney Goff stated to News Channel 5 that Avelo does not have a contract with the federal agency.
“Avelo does not have a contract with DHS/ICE and we have no idea how this false statement keeps getting publicized without any fact-checking,” Goff said.
When asked if Avelo had operated flights for DHS or ICE in the past, Goff reiterated, “We fly charters for all branches of the government as we have under multiple administrations, Biden and Trump. We do not have any contracts with DHS or ICE.”
News Channel 5 said they reached out to DHS for clarification but had not yet received a response.
Regarding the various Coalition protests over the Thanksgiving weekend, Avelo’s official statement is: “We recognize the right of individuals to peacefully assemble. Avelo’s main priority continues to be maintaining the safety and timeliness of our operation that over 8.3 million customers across the country continue to enjoy.”
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
One Response
They broke the law and there are consequences for breaking the law. Deport them all now. I’m tired of reading articles where these criminals are raping, robbing and killing our citizens. Not to mention, all the fraud they are involved in.