US Military Deportation Flights Cost More Than First Class for Each Migrant
Trump's military deportation flights to Latin America cost significantly more than commercial alternatives, with a single flight to Guatemala estimated at $4,675 per migrant.
US President Donald Trump's military deportation flights, launched last week as part of his national emergency declaration on immigration, have proven to be far more expensive than commercial alternatives.
A flight to Guatemala on Monday, which carried 64 migrants, is estimated to have cost at least $4,675 per person, according to US and Guatemalan officials.
This is more than five times the cost of a one-way first class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, where the flight departed.
The cost of operating a C-17 military transport aircraft is estimated at $28,500 per hour, and the round-trip flight lasted around 10.5 hours, not including preparation or time on the ground.
The US has so far sent six planeloads of migrants to Latin America, with four of them landing in Guatemala.
However, two flights were diverted after Colombia refused to allow US planes to land, leading to a standoff and Colombia sending its own planes for the migrants.The cost of using commercial aircraft for deportations, such as the chartered flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is significantly lower.
ICE's commercial flights, which are usually chartered on Boeing 737 or MD-80 aircraft, cost an average of $630 per person.
ICE’s cost for deportation flights was estimated at $17,000 per flight hour, with flights typically lasting around five hours, according to acting ICE Director Tae Johnson.The military flights, which are a part of Trump's new strategy, are being touted as an unprecedented move, with the president vowing to continue their use and impose economic consequences on countries that refuse to cooperate.
The Pentagon has not yet responded to requests for further comment.
A flight to Guatemala on Monday, which carried 64 migrants, is estimated to have cost at least $4,675 per person, according to US and Guatemalan officials.
This is more than five times the cost of a one-way first class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, where the flight departed.
The cost of operating a C-17 military transport aircraft is estimated at $28,500 per hour, and the round-trip flight lasted around 10.5 hours, not including preparation or time on the ground.
The US has so far sent six planeloads of migrants to Latin America, with four of them landing in Guatemala.
However, two flights were diverted after Colombia refused to allow US planes to land, leading to a standoff and Colombia sending its own planes for the migrants.The cost of using commercial aircraft for deportations, such as the chartered flights operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is significantly lower.
ICE's commercial flights, which are usually chartered on Boeing 737 or MD-80 aircraft, cost an average of $630 per person.
ICE’s cost for deportation flights was estimated at $17,000 per flight hour, with flights typically lasting around five hours, according to acting ICE Director Tae Johnson.The military flights, which are a part of Trump's new strategy, are being touted as an unprecedented move, with the president vowing to continue their use and impose economic consequences on countries that refuse to cooperate.
The Pentagon has not yet responded to requests for further comment.
