DHS's Jets Bought for Deportation Flights Sit Largely Idle at Lake Charles Regional Airport

Aircraft acquired this year for the Department of Homeland Security under former Secretary Kristi Noem, intended to support the Trump administration's deportation campaign, have barely flown from Lake Charles Regional Airport in southwest Louisiana. ADS-B Exchange data show that each of the planes has conducted fewer than five flights since April 2026.

The department bought five jets from Daedalus Aviation in March, on Noem's final day in the job, the New York Times reported. The purchase included two Gulfstream business jets and a Boeing business jet. One of the Boeing 737s is an 18-year-old aircraft that began with Southwest Airlines, was taken on by Avelo Airlines in 2021 and was acquired by DHS via Daedalus Aviation in February 2026. Two of the Boeing 737s are earmarked for upgrades.

DHS, now led by former Oklahoma senator Markwayne Mullin, is seeking alternative uses for the aircraft. A September request for proposal says the department wants to repurpose four of them for Congressional delegations and other VIPs. It is unclear what DHS plans for the other three aircraft, and the agency did not respond to questions about the fleet.

A July DHS notice sought information from contractors on round-the-clock operations for deportations and other missions, including flights for senior officials, with contractors supplying pilots, co-pilots, flight attendants and, when needed, flight nurses and security personnel. No contract has followed.

Through the end of September this year, ICE carried out more than 2,400 deportation flights to 82 countries, according to Human Rights First. Separately, it oversaw more than 11,200 domestic flights in 39 states, using existing contractors.

John Sandweg, a former acting ICE director in the Obama administration, said aircraft availability has never significantly constrained deportations. He questioned the need for a government-owned fleet that would leave the agency responsible for maintenance and staffing.

Sandweg said DHS has not previously overseen flights for Congressional delegations. He added that a government-owned fleet was never considered during his tenure because of the extensive contractor network, and that using contractors is "1,000 times more efficient." The fleet's fate is cited as emblematic of costly DHS projects under Noem.

For the charter and aircraft-management segment, the case shows where government demand for flying actually gets met. Missions spanning thousands of deportation and domestic movements already run on contracted crews and aircraft, and a purchased fleet adds fixed costs that contracting turns into per-flight costs: maintenance programmes, pilot and cabin staffing, and the upgrade work two of the 737s are slated for.

The redirection toward Congressional delegations and VIP travel points to a different market. That work would have to be staffed, maintained and flown by someone, either in-house or through a contractor, and the September request for proposal is the document that would reveal which path DHS prefers.

The July notice for round-the-clock operations has produced no contract, and the future of the other three aircraft has not been disclosed. A contract award under either solicitation would show whether DHS is moving toward running this fleet itself or handing it to outside operators.