ICE Deportation Push Spurs Aviation Firm to Buy Up Used Jets

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 ...