NEW HANOVER COUNTY — In recent weeks, protestors and immigrant advocacy groups have begun requesting the county ensure their tax dollars are not funding a low-cost carrier airline with a base at Wilmington International Airport and for the assurance deportation flights will not take off locally.
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On May 31, about 50 demonstrators gathered on the steps of Wilmington City Hall at 2 p.m., holding a sidewalk picket along Third Street until 4 p.m. It was organized locally by the Wilmington Immigrant Allies Forum, alongside Indivisible Actions Southeast North Carolina and Indivisible Wilmington, the groups behind the Congressman David Rouzer town hall and a ‘Hands Off’ protest against the Trump administration.
The event was one of 29 protests held nationwide coordinated by the Coalition to Stop Avelo, formed after the airline signed a $151-million contract with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in April. The contract is only to operate charter flights out of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport and no other Avelo bases.
“We really just want the county to be aware of these things and to be transparent with the public about who’s funding Avelo here locally,” Katie Randall, leader of the IAF, said.
Randall formerly worked with the refugee resettlement agency Church World Service and was let go after the Trump administration suspended funding for refugee resettlement programs in January. The Immigrant Allies Forum started in the fall of 2024 with the goal of providing a voice and group of community advocates for immigrants in Wilmington; Randall took the group over a few months ago.
While Avelo is a private company, its host, ILM, is indirectly funded by taxpayer money through federal and state capital grants. For instance, ILM received a $20-million federal grant in September 2024 for projects including roadway realignment, a new terminal curb front, terminal design, and general airport improvements.
The county doesn’t provide money to the airport’s operations; however, it does own the 1,800-acre land the airport is on but leases it to the New Hanover County Airport Authority for just $1 per year.
County commissioners also appoint seven members to the New Hanover County Airport Authority, which manages ILM as a self-sufficient enterprise. Operating revenue is generated from airline fees, passenger charges and commercial activities.
According to ILM Director Jeffrey Bourk, Avelo is the third largest airline at the Wilmington airport accounting for 12% of a total 780,456 enplanements over the last 12 months. In 2023, Avelo made a $462-million impact on the local economy, he said.
Since establishing a presence at ILM in 2022, Avelo has steadily expanded its commercial service, now operating 11 routes and adding four more in June to destinations including Detroit, Houston, Long Island, and Washington D.C. This expansion coincides with a new lease agreement signed in April for a base of operations at ILM, in effect running from January 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, with options to extend until 2029.
“We already have military planes that fly in and out, so what’s to say that we wouldn’t have ICE flights run out of ILM at some point?” Randall questioned.
According to Avelo Communications Manager Courtney Goff, Avelo’s charter operations — it also runs non-deportation charters flights — and its commercial operations are distinct and won’t overlap. She clarified deportation flights will not operate from ILM and will therefore not affect regular commercial airline services at the airport.
“The safety and well-being of our Crewmembers (employees), Customers and all individuals involved is our highest priority,” Goff wrote in a statement to Port City Daily. “While we recognize the right of individuals to peacefully assemble, Avelo’s main priority will continue to be maintaining the safety and timeliness of our operation.”
The Phoenix, Arizona, base was specifically set up by Avelo to handle immigration-related operations. Avelo’s agreement with ICE started May 12, though no numbers have been released on how many flights have occurred out of Phoenix. However, for the first seven weeks of the Trump administration (Jan. 20 to March 11, 2025), ICE reported 28,319 deportations of individuals from the U.S.
CEO of Avelo Airlines, Andrew Levy, released a statement after the agreement was made public, stating the airline entered the contract “because it was too valuable not to pursue.”
“We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic,” he wrote. “After significant deliberations, we determined this charter flying will provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 crewmembers employed for years to come.”
While the airline’s quarterly reports are not publicly available, as it is a private company, according to ProPublica, the company’s first profitable quarter (Q4) was in 2023, followed by a profitable Q1 in 2024.
Under the ICE contract, Avelo serves as a subcontractor to CSI Aviation, an air charter and aviation management company that has held contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security since 2005. Avelo is one of several subcontractors with CSI Aviation, along with private airlines, but it is the only commercial airline among them.
“I think it’s a pretty big deal because if they get a pass, then maybe another airline who is looking for an influx of cash is, like, ‘We could do that,’” Randall said. “What we don’t want is to normalize this.”
Other airlines under contract, such as GlobalX, a private charter airline headquartered in Miami, have been working under contract with DHS since 2021, contributing to about 80% of all deportation flights in 2024. Beyond the contract with ICE, GlobalX flies clients like professional sports teams and entertainers.
The contract specifies Avelo and other subcontractors must be able to provide daily scheduled large aircraft for transfers and removals. Avelo has dedicated three Boeing 737-800 planes in Phoenix.
Randall said the Wilmington Immigrant Allies Forum plans on attending an upcoming New Hanover County Commissioners meeting on June 16 to present a local written petition against Avelo and inform commissioners of their issues with the airline.
“It’s not like we want you to immediately kick Avelo out,” Randall said. “We want you to have conversations with Avelo to get assurances from them and do an investigation to make sure our money isn’t contributing to this.”
Port City Daily called the county commissioners for comment on recent Avelo protests and the organizations coming before the board. Commissioner Rob Zapple was the only one to respond by press.
“I don’t know that there is much that we can do,” Zapple said. “These are contracts signed with the airport authority, but I don’t want to discount anything they might bring to us. I’m willing to be educated on it more.”
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email charlie@localdailymedia.com
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