Budget airline Avelo announced it’s ceasing service at Hollywood Burbank Airport as part of a larger move to shut down its West Coast fleet.
Service out of Burbank will cease by early December as the company focuses on operations on the East Coast. The airline announced that by Aug. 12, the company will reduce its local fleet to just one aircraft before it completely shutters.
“This was not an easy decision,” CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement. “We believe the continuation of service from BUR in the current operating environment will not deliver adequate financial returns in a highly competitive backdrop.”
Avelo launched its first flight from Burbank in 2021 and expanded service to 13 routes.
The announcement follows protests and calls to boycott the airline after it signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to transport migrants to detention centers in and outside of the country.
A company spokesperson told NBC4 the decision to shut down West Coast operations had nothing to do with protests.
California crew members will be given the option to transfer to another Avelo base, the airline said. Those bases are located in Charlotte, North Carolina; Hartford, Connecticut and Wilmington, Delaware.
Customers who have already booked flights can cancel and receive a refund.