Wilmington Activist Groups Protest Avelo Airlines Over Deportation Flights

In Wilmington, several community-led activist organizations, namely the Immigrant Allies Forum, the Wilmington Collective of Indivisible, and the Wilmington Section of America’s Democratic Socialists, staged a passive demonstration informing incoming tourists about their civic responsibilities. These organizations made a conscious decision to gather at the entrance of Wrightsville Beach, strategically engaging the maximum number of travellers. Their aim was to raise awareness about an agreement Avelo Airlines solidified with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier in the year to execute deportation flights.

One protest organizer pointed out that Avelo had received local funding to market Wilmington and other locations as ideal travel destinations. However, the protestors wanted to ensure that patrons understand the real cost of their seemingly affordable airline ticket. They argued that while these low-priced tickets might look inviting, their underlying human rights implications couldn’t be overlooked.

Avelo Airlines, a budget carrier, operates in 23 different states in the United States. This past April, they established a new operational hub in Wilmington. This move was soon followed by the stirrings of dissent across the city.

The initial protest against Avelo took place directly in front of the airport in May. But this week saw a nationwide movement join forces to exert economic strain on the airline in response to their controversial agreement. Now, the campaign has gone national with protests occurring in various cities where Avelo operates.

One protestor elaborated on the cause, explaining that Avelo Airlines, as a commercial airline, is unique in its contract with ICE. They’re operating deportation flights from Arizona to El Salvador. The main message the protest aims to disseminate is a call to boycott the airline.

While it is understood that a consensus on the topic of immigration is, at best, challenging to attain, and persuasion on the matter might be an uphill battle, advocates on a local and national scale urge travellers to reassess their airline carrier of choice.

One protestor optimistically notes that their actions appear to be making an impact. They mention how, a few weeks earlier, Avelo reduced some of their flight paths, not locally in Wilmington, but elsewhere across the nation.

The protestors are hopeful that their local efforts will have a ripple effect, ultimately inciting significant change. Meanwhile, Avelo defends their partnership with ICE, arguing that the financial stability it provides is indispensable.

A representative of one of the local advocacy groups filed a request for public records with the New Hanover County Airport Authority. After a two-month wait, the Deputy Airport Director clarified that Avelo had not received budgetary allocations or approvals for adjustments from the Airport Authority.

He also forwarded the standard lease agreement that Avelo, like all other airlines operating through ILM, was subject to, accompanied by an overview of ILM’s incentive program, offered universally to all airlines. After a lengthy email conversation, he eventually confirmed that local marketing funding was allocated towards promoting Avelo and ILM Airport.

Avelo’s operations have had considerable implications for the local economy. However, one protestor challenged the assertion, stating that it is difficult to accept Avelo’s contribution given that the total revenue from tourism in New Hanover County was recorded at $1.1 billion in 2023.

He compared this with the county’s annual GDP, which was less than $20 billion in the last fiscal year. This means that attributing a vast swath of economic activity to Avelo was hard to reconcile with.

However, this protestor also raised further moral questions, questioning whether society should overlook Avelo’s role in deportation flights perceived as unlawful and inhumane, just because of the potential economic benefits. He urged society to question the ethical compromise being made when such activities are allowed to continue.

This question of putting a price on moral values – are we agreeing to tolerate inhumane deportation flights simply because we derive economic benefit from other actions of the airline – is at the heart of this ongoing protest against Avelo.