Avelo Airlines to close US West Coast base amid backlash over deportation flights
Avelo signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in April to transport migrants to detention centers inside and outside the U.S.
The company said it will reduce its operation at the airport to one aircraft until December 2 and then close the base which currently serves 13 routes.
Avelo said the protests and its contract with DHS did not have any effect on its decision to close the base and have not impacted its business.
"We believe the continuation service from (Burbank) in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop," the company said in a statement.
Avelo said it had made several changes over the past few years to its West Coast operations but they did not produce the results necessary to continue presence there.
The company has faced a backlash from employees and customers due to its partnership with the DHS. Protests have cropped up across the country from outside the Burbank Airport to their hub in New Haven, Connecticut, calling on the airline to end its partnership with the DHS and for customers to boycott the carrier.
Nancy Klein, from Hollywood, California, said she has organized seven protests in collaboration with activist groups CA27Indivisible and East Valley Indivisible in Southern California and believes the company's decision to end their service at the airport is partially due their calls to boycott the airline.
"This change in Avelo's business operations is some evidence that being on the right side of history, while being principled and persistent, can make a difference," Klein said in a statement.
Klein said she is planning the next protest against the carrier at Burbank Airport on July 27.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
37 minutes ago
- Sky News
Why has Trump just called his own supporters 'stupid'?
👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈 Trump scrambles to try and fire the chair of America's central bank - despite being constitutionally barred from sacking him without just cause. All of this feels like distraction and obfuscation from the Epstein files debacle - a political crisis that is eating MAGA alive. Plus: tensions are flaring in the Middle East once again. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is urging de-escalation between Israel and Syria. If you've got a question you'd like the Trump100 team to answer, you can email it to trump100@ You can also watch all episodes on our YouTube channel.
Daily Mail
43 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
A winter wine deal worth savouring - how to snap up 12 bottles of premium wine for under $8 a bottle with FREE delivery
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Cosy nights call for great wine and Naked Wines has an unmissable deal you won't want to miss. Whether you're hosting friends, pairing it with a hearty meal, or enjoying a quiet night in, winter is the perfect season to wind down with a quality glass of red or white. Enter Naked Wines, the viral wine club that's shaking up the industry. They work with over 90 independent winemakers to bring premium bottles straight to your door, all at a fraction of the price you'd normally pay in-store. This season, Naked Wines is offering its customers $100 off their first 12 wines to make sipping your way through winter hassle-free. Oh, we almost forgot, they are spoiling shoppers even more with free shipping. Pour us a glass (or five!). Whether you are an avid wine drinker or not, Naked Wines has loads of variation from their makers to their flavors. The high-end brand takes pride in working with some of the best winemakers around the country, including Silver Oak and Mondavi. They offer something for every taste bud, with reds, whites, rosés, and more listed on their website. You can explore their curated crates and learn more about the wineries they come from on their site, too, before choosing your unique 12 bottles! What we love about Naked Wines is that it makes hosting a breeze. No more worrying about what to bring or stressing about what to serve with these luxury wines delivered right to your doorstep, you do not have to do a thing. With 12 bottles delivered right to you, the possibilities are endless for hosting from charcuterie nights to backyard barbecues. By going through Naked Wines, you not only get the best of the best, but you also save 30 percent compared to what you would pay in mass retailer shops. The brand is on a mission to connect sippers with real, raw, talented winemakers at price points that don't break the bank, because they believe everyone deserves to enjoy good wine, even on a dime. We have a feeling once you start drinking Naked Wines selections, you will not want to stop, which works out because they offer a subscription plan that is tailor-made to each sipper. When you sign up for a plan, you complete a quiz that matches you to a case of wine, and from there, it learns your evolving preferences! So what are you waiting for?! Snag your curated 12-bottle case of wine ASAP while you can save $100 off.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Columbia adopts controversial definition of antisemitism amid federal grants freeze
Columbia University has agreed to adopt a controversial definition of antisemitism as it pursues an agreement with the Trump aimed at restoring $400m in federal government grants frozen over its alleged failure to protect Jewish students. In a letter to students and staff, the university's acting president, Claire Shipman, said it would incorporate the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism into its anti-discrimination policies as part of a broad overhaul. It is the latest in a string of concessions Columbia has made following criticisms – mainly from pro-Israel groups and Republican members of Congress – that university authorities had tolerated the expression of antisemitic attitudes in pro-Palestinian campus protests following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in 2023. 'Columbia is committed to taking all possible steps to combat antisemitism and the University remains dedicated to ensuring that complaints of discrimination and harassment of all types, including complaints based on Jewish and Israeli identity, are treated in the same manner,' wrote Shipman. 'Formally adding the consideration of the IHRA definition into our existing anti-discrimination policies strengthens our approach to combating antisemitism.' The definition, which describes antisemitism as 'a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews', has been adopted by the US state department and several European government and EU groups. However, critics have say it is designed to shield Israel by punishing legitimate criticism of the country. They also complain that it conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism. Among the examples of criticisms accompanying the definition are 'claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor', 'applying double standards by requiring of [Israel] a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nations' and 'accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel … than to the interests of their own nations'. Donald Trump gave the IHRA definition a significant boost during his presidency by issuing an executive order in 2018 requiring all federal government agencies to take account of it when handling civil rights complaints. In adopting it now, Columbia is following Harvard, which agreed to embrace the definition last January as part of a court settlement reached with Jewish students, who had accused the university of failing to protect them under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The act prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, religion or ethnic origin in programs or institutions receiving federal funding. While Harvard remains in dispute with the White House after refusing to bow to its demands in return for the unfreezing of federal funding, Columbia has been accused of surrendering vital academic freedoms in an initial agreement with the administration reached last March that will see it reform its protest and security policies, while restricting the autonomy of its Middle Eastern studies department. Shipman has insisted that the university is 'following the law' and denied that it is guilty of 'capitulation'. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Columbia's previous president, Minouche Shafik, resigned last August following sustained criticism, including in Congress, over her failure to end months of campus protests, despite calling in New York police to dismantle an encampment. In her letter, Shipman said last March's agreement was 'only a starting point for change'. 'The fact that we've faced pressure from the government does not make the problems on our campuses any less real; a significant part of our community has been deeply affected in negative ways,' she wrote. 'Committing to reform on our own is a more powerful path. It will better enable us to recognize our shortcomings and create lasting change.' However, the New York Times recently reported that the university was nearing an agreement to pay Jewish complainants more than $200m in compensation for civil rights violations that would be part of the deal to have its funding restored. The deal is likely to require further reforms in return for restored funding but stops short of requiring a judge-approved consent decree, which had been in an initial draft and would have given the Trump administration significant control over the university.
