Local organizations like the Immigrant Allies Forum and the Democratic Socialists of America’s Wilmington Chapter, along with Indivisible Wilmington, constructed a demonstration on the route towards Wrightsville Beach. They aimed their message at tourists, encouraging them to ‘fly their values.’ One of the protest leaders noted that they strategically chose this location to maximize their audience’s awareness about a controversial partnership established earlier this year between Avelo Airlines and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to handle deportation flights.
One of the key messages that the protestors aimed to communicate was the link between local funds and the operations of Avelo Airlines. They argued that Avelo has been utilizing county funded advertising to encourage individuals to choose their airline for their vacation travels. The organizations wanted to highlight to these travelers that even though Avelo may offer inexpensive flight tickets, there could be considerable human rights implications involved that may go against their personal values.
Avelo Airlines, known as a budget-friendly carrier, operates within 23 states across the United States. In recent times, it established a new operational base in Wilmington. This move sparked a wave of protests across the city, which first reared their head in May in front of the local airport, protesting Avelo’s activities in that location.
As this week rolled around, a nationwide campaign was launched with the aim to put commercial pressure on Avelo Airlines following their agreement. This expanded the scope of the protests far beyond Wilmington. ‘Now, this protest has gained national momentum. We’re participating in a nation-wide demonstration today, which is happening in a majority of cities where Avelo operates,’ a protestor explained.
The protestor further elaborated, ‘Avelo Airlines is a commercial airline, and it’s the only one currently in the commercial sector that is contracted by ICE. They’re conducting deportation flights from Arizona, transporting individuals to El Salvador. Our purpose is straightforward—encourage people to boycott Avelo.’
While the issue of immigration does not have unanimous public support, and altering views on this matter can be challenging, local and national advocates are concentrating on urging travelers to reconsider their airline selection. One of the protestors believes that their efforts are not in vain, ‘it seems to be making a difference. Some of Avelo’s flights were terminated a few weeks ago, with reductions in some of its routes—although not in Wilmington—elsewhere in the nation.’
The ultimate objective of these demonstrations is to catalyze significant changes locally. However, Avelo has justified its decision to cooperate with ICE by voicing their requirement for financial stability. A campaigner from one of these advocacy groups filed a public records request to learn more about the Avelo’s financial arrangements with the New Hanover County Airport Authority.
After a couple of months, he received an update from the Deputy Airport Director: The Airport Authority neither designated any resources for Avelo nor approved budget changes on their behalf. The campaigner received a copy of Avelo’s standard lease agreement, similar to those of all airlines operating out of ILM, and a brief on the airport authority’s incentive program.
However, through a series of exchanges, it was confirmed that local promotional funding had been utilized in boosting Avelo flights and the ILM Airport. Ever since Avelo began its operations, the airline seems to have significantly influenced the local economy.
One of the protestors commented on this, finding it hard to reconcile with data that detailed tourist expenditure in New Hanover County, which stood at $1.1 billion in 2023. The entire annual GDP for the county didn’t exceed $20 billion in the most recent financial year, leading him to question the credit attributed to Avelo for invigorating the local economy.
His words touched upon an even larger ethical question, ‘However, this skirts around the real moral issue here—are we content to ignore Avelo’s involvement in the contentious and possibly inhumane practice of deportation flights simply because their other actions bring a monetary gain? What kind of moral cost are we willing to absorb to permit these deportation flights to persist?’
The post Protests Flare Against Avelo Airlines Over Deportation Flights appeared first on Real News Now.
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