Avelo Airlines flew an empty plane from New Haven to Mexico Thursday as part of a once-every-two-years “heavy maintenance” routine for each of its aircraft.
The flight-tracking website FlightAware shows that an Avelo Airlines plane left Tweed New Haven Airport for Queretaro Intercontinental Airport (QRO) in northern Mexico at 10:24 a.m. Thursday. It landed at 1:06 p.m.
Asked if this is a commercial-passenger or migrant-removal flight, Avelo spokesperson Courtney Goff told the Independent that the plane is empty and is heading down to Mexico for “maintenance inspections.”
Goff said that QRO in Mexico is where the budget airline does its “heavy maintenance C‑checks,” or comprehensive checks.
What happens during a C‑check? And why fly from New Haven all the way down to Mexico?
“C‑checks happen every two years on all aircraft,” Goff explained. “It’s an in-depth tear down and inspection of the airplane to ensure proper maintenance and safety. We do daily maintenance and inspections on all aircraft but every two years, there’s a detailed ‘heavy’ maintenance inspection.”
She said that Avelo has been doing C‑checks at QRO in Mexico for over a year. “QRO is home to TechOps MX, a large aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company which is the largest in Mexico and the second largest in Latin America. TechOps MX was formed through a joint venture between Delta Air Lines and Grupo Aeromexico. Many U.S. carriers utilize their facility.”