Budget airline Avelo pulling out of Sonoma County Airport after taking on ICE deportation flights
Days after announcing it would be flying federal deportation flights from Arizona, officials with Avelo Airlines confirmed Wednesday it would no longer have a base at the Sonoma County Airport.
In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, Avelo Airlines Communications Manager Madison Jones said that the company "has decided to close the base in Santa Rosa / Sonoma County (STS) almost a year after it was opened."
"STS was selected for closure because achieving necessary financial results there has proven more elusive than expected," the statement said. "With more time to build the markets, perhaps our initial hypothesis could be correct, but now is the time to utilize our aircraft in the best possible opportunities."
The statement said the airline would continue to serve Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport with flights to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Bend/Redmond in Oregon and seasonal flights to Palm Springs.
The company said that employees would "have the opportunity to transfer to any base" where Avelo operates, but acknowledged that some workers would not be interested in relocating.
The move comes after the airline announced earlier this week it signed an agreement to fly federal deportation flights from Arizona starting in May.
Andrew Levy, also CEO of the Houston-based airline, said Avelo is flying for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Immigration Control and Enforcement agency as part of a "long-term charter program" to support the agency's deportation efforts. The company decided the move would help with expansion and protect jobs, he said.
"We realize this is a sensitive and complicated topic," Levy said in a statement.
The domestic and international flights will be supported by three Boeing 737-800 planes and based at Mesa Gateway Airport, Avelo said in a statement.
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