Why Should Delaware Care?
After Avelo Airlines announced it would end its contract to provide deportation flights, tensions eased between Delaware activists and Wilmington airport officials. The problem resurfaced after airport officials said they were considering leasing space to another aviation company linked with ICE, but now the company has decided to pull out of the proposal.
Daedalus Aviation, the Virginia company that recently struck a deal with the federal government to sell airplanes for deportation flights, has decided not to rent space at the Wilmington Airport “at this time,” according to a statement released Wednesday by the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates the facility.
The decision to withdraw from a potential lease follows weeks of outcry from local activists and state lawmakers who have urged Delaware officials to refrain from doing business with any companies linked to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, due to concerns over abuses of due process.
The Delaware River & Bay Authority had planned on discussing the lease agreement at its upcoming Feb. 18 board meeting. Daedalus previously indicated that it wanted to use a vacant hangar at the Wilmington Airport “for the purpose of housing their aircraft that they’re using for VIP flights,” DRBA officials told Spotlight Delaware late last month.
The little-known Virginia-based company recently struck a $140 million contract to sell planes to federal immigration officials for deportation flights, according to a report published last month by the Washington Post. In addition, its top executives also lead a company that contracted with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to fly deportation flights for the Trump administration.
Daedalus officials did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request to comment on why they decided to withdraw from the potential lease.
James Salmon, a spokesperson for the DRBA, told Spotlight Delaware that Daedalus did not provide a reason for why the company decided to scrap its proposal.
The public first became aware of the discussion of a possible lease to Daedalus in December, after a resolution to approve the contract with the company appeared on the agenda for a DRBA public meeting.
During the meeting, DRBA commissioners tabled the resolution so that it could be reviewed by New Jersey’s incoming governor, Mikie Sherrill, according to DRBA Executive Director Joel Coppadge.
The DRBA is a bi-state agency created by Delaware and New Jersey to operate and maintain the region’s bridges, ferries, and airports. Its governing board is appointed by the governors of each state.
Coppadge also confirmed that Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer had already reviewed the contract.
The initial December agenda item prompted advocates to urge DRBA officials not to enter into any contracts with companies that deal with ICE. But the DRBA has asserted that they must provide fair access to all prospective tenants or else they could lose federal dollars.
In its Feb. 11 statement, the DRBA noted that it has received approximately $100 million in Federal Aviation Administration grant funding for the Wilmington Airport since 1995.
“The DRBA will continue to comply with applicable federal and state laws as it pursues additional aeronautical users and diversified revenue sources to support growth at the airport,” DRBA officials wrote.
State Sen. Ray Seigfried (D-Claymont) also sent a letter to the DRBA last week asking the entity to drop the lease. The letter was signed by all 15 members of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Seigfried previously sponsored a bill which would have stripped commercial airlines of Delaware’s aviation jet fuel tax exemption if they transported ICE detainees for deportation without meeting due process standards, including the presentation of judicial warrants.
The bill was aimed toward Delaware’s only commercial airline, Avelo Airlines, which recently ended its contract with the federal government to fly deportation flights.
Seigfried said that bill is now moot since Avelo ended its dealings with ICE, however, he plans on introducing new legislation targeted toward ICE operations in Delaware. The new bill is currently being drafted.
“I’m gonna do all I can to ensure that ICE never steps foot in Delaware,” he said.