Several community organizations, such as the Immigrant Allies Forum, Indivisible Wilmington, and Wilmington’s Democratic Socialists of America Chapter, have been seen protesting along the path to Wrightsville Beach, encouraging holiday-goers to align their travel decisions with their principles. This strategic location was picked with the intention of maximizing the awareness regarding Avelo Airlines’ controversial alliance with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for conducting deportation flights, according to one of the demonstration’s architects.
Funding from the county was handed to Avelo for advertising purposes in Wilmington and other places, with aims to attract tourists. These protestors asks that society recognizes the potential ethical costs hidden beneath the inexpensive fares of Avelo. Avelo Airlines, a low-cost carrier, operates in 23 states, having inaugurated its Wilmington base of operations in April.
From the moment Avelo established its presence in Wilmington, the city has been the site of numerous demonstrations. In front of the city’s airport, the inaugural protest against Avelo took place in May. The latest protest is part of a larger, national campaign targeting Avelo aiming to leverage consumer pressure on the airline post its agreement with ICE.
As part of a countrywide initiative, various locales where Avelo has a footprint are joining together in these efforts. This protest is intended to bring about change at a national level and is inclusive of cities throughout the country where Avelo operates. A participant elaborated, ‘Avelo Airlines is involved in commercial aviation and has the unique distinction of being the sole commercial carrier contracted with ICE, operating deportation flights from Arizona to El Salvador. Our appeal is simple – Boycott Avelo.’
Although consensus on immigration issues remains elusive, and altering opinions could prove challenging, activists both at a national and local level are encouraging passengers to reevaluate their airline preferences. One of the protestors optimistically noted that their efforts seem to be having an impact, with Avelo having recently curtailed some of its operations, cutting back on several routes, albeit not in Wilmington.
These local initiatives aim to instigate significant amendments to the current situation. Avelo has justified its collaboration with ICE, arguing that this partnership is critical for its financial stability. Meanwhile, a member of the directive committee for one of the advocacy groups decided to file a public records request with the New Hanover County Airport Authority.
The Deputy Airport Director informed the committee member, after a couple of months, that the Airport Authority did not allocate any budget for Avelo and was not involved in any budget amendments for the airline. He shared a copy of the lease agreement with Avelo, which he asserts is a standard agreement for all the airlines operating at ILM, and briefed him about the incentive program that the airline authority offers to all airlines.
However, a series of email exchanges eventually led to the confirmation that local marketing funds have gone towards promoting Avelo’s flights and ILM Airport since Avelo’s inception. Since the start of operations, Avelo has significantly influenced the local economy. Despite this, a protestor questioned the impact Avelo is truly having, considering the total tourist spending in New Hanover County was reported at $1.1 billion in 2023.
In the previous fiscal year, the entire annual GDP for the county was under $20 billion, bringing into question the actual economic impact Avelo could claim. The protestor then brought up the ethical concerns, questioning our willingness to ignore Avelo’s participation in deportation flights considered to be both illegal and inhumane simply because of potential profit.
He posed a thought-provoking question to ponder: ‘Are we placing economic gain above our moral compass? Are we assigning a monetary value to our principles by allowing these deportation flights to continue?’ This issue seeks reflection and action from society at large, and initiatives by these advocacy groups are slowly raising awareness and inciting this reflection.
The post Community Groups Challenge Avelo Airlines’ Alliance with ICE appeared first on Real News Now.
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