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No.

Avelo Airlines does not operate deportation flights out of Connecticut.

The budget carrier’s ICE deportation shuttle contract is based in Mesa, Arizona, under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that began in May 2025. None of these flights depart from Connecticut, but the arrangement has prompted local government action. In New Haven, home to Avelo’s East Coast hub at Tweed New Haven Airport, the city has prohibited city employees, grant recipients, and contractors from using public funds to buy tickets from the airline while it continues the ICE charters. 

Several other cities in the region have taken similar steps. Avelo carried 94.64% of Tweed’s commercial passenger traffic between May 2024 and April 2025, compared with Breeze Airways at 5.36%, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. The airline says the contract helps keep the business financially stable and protects jobs.

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Reginald David is the Community Engagement Reporter for CT Mirror. He builds relationships across Connecticut to elevate community voices and deepen public dialogue around local issues. Previously, he was a producer at KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR station, where he created community-centered programming, led live event coverage for major events like the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Parade, and Royals Opening Day, and launched KC Soundcheck, a music series spotlighting local and national artists. Reginald has also hosted special segments, including an in-depth interview with civil rights leader Alvin Brooks and live community coverage on issues like racial segregation and neighborhood development. He began his public media career as an ‘Integrity in News’ intern at WNPR in Hartford.