The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is mulling buying and operating its own fleet of aircraft to operate deportation flights, local news outlet NBC News reported, quoting two sources familiar with the discussions.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is reportedly pushing to use the much-increased funding of the department to buy and operate its own fleet. This will make it easier for the government to meet its goal to deport between 30,000 and 35,000 immigrants per month.
Currently, the DHS relies on aircraft chartered from commercial operators. According to the department, the average cost of a daily scheduled charter flight is USD8,577 per flight hour. Depending on aircraft requirements, the cost of a special high-risk charter flight can range between USD6,929 and USD26,795 per flight hour.
On average, the agency has chartered eight to 14 planes at a time for deportation flights - currently, 12 aircraft are stationed at its operational locations in Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. For routine daily charter missions, it uses B737 or MD80 series aircraft. For large special high-risk charter missions, it charters B737 to B777 planes, and for small special high-risk charter missions, it charters small jets like Gulfstream GIVs or equivalents. Due to the politically sensitive nature of such charters, commercial operators have faced backlash for their contracts with the DHS, with Avelo Airlines (XP, Burbank) in particular facing boycotts and losing government contracts in Democratic-run cities.
In a brief statement to ch-aviation, DHS said it cannot confirm NBC News reporting.
