Activist organizations, such as the Immigrant Allies Forum, the Wilmington faction of the Democratic Socialists of America, and Indivisible Wilmington, took to the streets leading to Wrightsville Beach. Their collective appeal to holiday-goers was a simple, yet powerful, ‘fly their values.’ A spokesperson from the event organizers explained their reason behind the location choice was to spread the message to as many tourists as possible about Avelo’s controversial collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, facilitating deportation flights.
The spokesperson expressed their concern saying, ‘It has come to our notice that funds from the county have gone into marketing initiatives by Avelo to promote travel to Wilmington and other destinations. It is vital for tourists to understand that despite the attractive low-cost fares, there might be a serious human rights violation attached to it.’ Avelo Airlines, a budget-friendly carrier, serves 23 states and has set up operations in Wilmington in the month of April.
Following the establishment of Avelo’s hub in Wilmington, numerous protests have been observed throughout the city. The first demonstration against Avelo was executed directly outside the airport in the month of May. This week, however, highlighted the launch of a nationwide campaign aimed at enforcing commercial pressures on the airline as a result of the ICE agreement they have undertaken.
One of the campaign participants commented, ‘We are now a part of a countrywide protest. This is taking place in every city where Avelo has operations.’ One vocal protestor illuminated on the issue, ‘Avelo Airlines is a commercial flyer. They are the exclusive commercial airline maintaining a contract with ICE, operating deportation flights from Arizona to El Salvador. Hence, our message is straightforward – Boycott Avelo.’
While there is no universally accepted stance on the immigration issue, shifting popular opinion might prove a formidable challenge. Nevertheless, both local and nationwide advocates hope to persuade travelers to reconsider the airline they choose to fly with. ‘It appears our efforts are yielding results,’ claimed a protestor, ‘a couple of weeks back, Avelo cancelled some flights and scaled down operations, not in Wilmington but in other parts of the country.’
There are high hopes that these grassroots actions might inaugurate substantial change in the local ambiance. Avelo, in response to the backlash, defended its association with ICE, emphasizing the need to maintain their financial equilibrium. One member of the directing committee for one of these advocacy groups launched a public data request with the New Hanover County Airport Authority.
After a couple of months, the Deputy Airport Director responded that there was no allocation of funds to Avelo by the Airport Authority, nor were there any concerning budget amendments done for the airline. He sent a copy of Avelo’s leasing agreement declaring it ‘identical across all airlines operating at ILM,’ in addition to an attachment showcasing the Airport Authority’s incentive program offered to all airlines operating at ILM.
After a series of email exchanges, the Deputy Director verified that funds for local marketing had indeed been utilized to promote Avelo flights and ILM airport since Avelo began its operation. It is notable that Avelo has driven a significant impact on local economy since its inception.
However, a protestor disputed the impact stating, ‘The claim is difficult to reconcile with facts that reveal total tourist expenditure in New Hanover County stood at $1.1 billion in 2023. Given the entire annual GDP for the county was under $20 billion in the most recent fiscal year, it’s a bit of a stretch to attribute so much of the economic activity to Avelo.’
The protestor made a striking point saying, ‘The bigger question we need to tackle is whether we are ready to overlook the immoral and illicit deportation flights conducted by Avelo, merely profiting from their other operations. What value prop are we putting on our moral principles, if we’re ready to accept the continuation of these deportation flights?’
The post Activist Groups Protest Avelo’s Contract with ICE appeared first on Real News Now.
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