Some New Hampshire residents are joining a national boycott of Avelo Airlines, which flies routes out of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, until the company agrees to end a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to operate deportation flights.
Protesters joined a coordinated effort on Saturday to raise awareness of the boycott. About a dozen people stood along either side of the Interstate 293 exit in Manchester that leads to the airport. Organizer Diane Kolifrath held a sign saying “Boycott Evil Avelo; Don’t fly deportation airlines!”
She said the point of the protests is to raise awareness of the boycott and ask lawmakers to end incentives for Avelo, like tax breaks or government contracts.
She also said she was concerned about what she called the lack of due process in the Trump administration’s handling of deportations, such as the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
“These people have been abducted and are being moved out of state, across state lines and across international lines, without any crime committed or any due process whatsoever,” she said. “And so we do see, there's a lot of cases where innocent folks are being swept up.”
In response to the protest, an Avelo spokesperson said the airline’s highest priority was the safety and well-being of its crewmembers, employees and customers.
“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,” said Avelo Communications Manager Courtney Goff in an email statement.
Avelo is also part of an ongoing lawsuit involving state Rep. Seth Miller from Dover. Miller paid to set up billboards near Tweed Airport in New Haven, Connecticut encouraging travellers to join the boycott of Avelo Airlines. While the courts are deciding whether the billboards are protected speech under the First Amendment, Miller encouraged more people to join the boycott.
“I'm under no delusion that Avelo stopping these flights means these flights stop,” he said. “But it makes it a little harder, makes it a little more expensive. It means other people have to do it. And once that's done, we'll go after the next ones.”
