Eastern Airlines has won a $328 million charter contract linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, securing a government aviation services deal for deportation and removal flights. The award covers operational support for government-furnished aircraft and places Eastern Air Express, the carrier’s Kansas City-based charter arm, at the centre of ICE’s flying programme.
The contract is understood to run for one year, with options that could extend the work into 2028. Available reporting places the total potential value at about $327.9 million, while the headline figure is rounded to $328 million. The business adds to Eastern’s existing involvement in ICE-related operations and underscores the airline’s role in a niche charter market that is distinct from scheduled passenger services.
The award follows earlier reporting that Eastern Air Express had already been flying removal missions for ICE as a subcontractor. The new deal appears to formalise and expand that relationship under a larger government contract structure, though the public record accessible here does not include the full award documents or operational detail behind the service scope.