The airline, which operates out of Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona, has signed an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to make charter deportation flights using three Boeing 737-800 planes.

The move has been met with criticism from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which cited safety concerns, and from local officials, who have called on Avelo's CEO to reconsider the decision.

Protests were held outside airports in Arizona and Connecticut on Monday, with demonstrators calling on travelers to boycott Avelo and urging the airline to abandon its work with the federal government.

Avelo's decision to operate deportation flights is part of a larger trend of companies seeking to capitalize on President Donald Trump's campaign for mass deportations.

The airline's CEO, Andrew Levy, has defended the decision, saying it will help the company expand and protect jobs, but critics argue that the move is antithetical to the airline's values and will harm its reputation.