President Donald Trump’s plan for a massive increase in deportation flights relies in part on a little-known startup from Virginia that’s assembling a fleet of planes after winning a $140 million contract to provide the Department of Homeland Security with aircraft.
Since landing that DHS deal late last year, Daedalus Aviation Corp. has registered four Boeing Co. 737-700 aircraft previously used by discount carrier Avelo Inc., according to Federal Aviation Administration data.
Those jets could help Daedalus fulfill its commitment to DHS. The company, based in Arlington, Virginia, has no other aircraft registered to it, according to FAA data.
Trump’s attempt to remove hundreds of thousands of immigrants is heightening logistical challenges for the aviation industry, with consumer-facing airlines like Avelo shunning the deportation business and creating opportunities for lower-profile companies like Daedalus that are less vulnerable to boycotts.
Daedalus didn’t respond to requests for comment. DHS didn’t respond to questions seeking details on its contract with Daedalus or whether the planes that the company had acquired would be used for deportation activities.
After months of protests for operating deportation flights, Avelo said earlier this month that it would discontinue such work citing financial reasons.
As part of a downsizing that also included shutting its operations at several airports, Avelo offloaded six Boeing 737 jets it had on lease.
That’s where Daedalus, named after a mythical Greek figure, came in.
The company doesn’t offer scheduled services or market directly to consumers, shielding Daedalus from some of the pressure faced by Avelo, an ultra-low cost airline that focuses on small airports such as New Haven, Connecticut.
Planes formerly leased to Avelo were listed as owned by Daedalus in early January, according to data from the FAA and aviation analytics firm Cirium. The Boeing Co. 737 planes are between 17 and 22 years old and were previously owned by Genesis Aircraft Services and Aero Capital Solutions, acco
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