Donald Trump's military deportation flight to Guatemala likely cost more than first class
Donald Trump's military deportation flight to Guatemala likely cost more than first class
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Trump launched the deportation flights last week as part of his national emergency declaration on immigration. A military deportation flight to Guatemala ordered by Donald Trump likely cost at least $4,675 per migrant, according to data provided by US and Guatemalan officials.
![[A US military plane carrying Guatemalan migrants deported from the United States sits on the tarmac at La Aurora airport in Guatemala City]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/29/05/Guatemala_US_Deportation_Flights_87481.jpg)
That is more than five times the $853 cost of a first class ticket on American Airlines from El Paso, Texas, the departure point for the flight, according to a review of publicly available airfares. It is also significantly higher than the cost of a commercial charter flight by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
President Trump launched the military deportation flights last week as part of his national emergency declaration on immigration, so far sending six planeloads of migrants on flights to Latin America. A U.S. official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, estimated the cost to operate a C-17 military transport aircraft is $28,500 per hour.
The flight back and forth to Guatemala, not including time on the ground or any operations to prepare the flight for takeoff, took about 10-1/2 hours in the air to complete, the official said. A Guatemalan official told Reuters the military transport plane landed on Monday with 64 people on board.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump, speaking at his Doral golf club to Republican lawmakers on Monday, vowed his unprecedented use of military aircraft for deportations would continue and any countries that refuse will "pay a high economic price.".
