Florida-based regional carrier Silver Airways notified customers on June 11, 2025, that it would immediately cease all flight operations in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean .
In a statement shared via its official website and Instagram, the airline urged travelers “please do not go to the airport,” adding that credit card payments and tickets purchased through travel agencies would be refundable.
Bankruptcy background and failed asset sale:
Silver Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 30, 2024, intending to restructure while continuing operations.
Under bankruptcy terms, Silver reached an agreement to sell its assets to an airline holding company or investment firm.
However, the prospective buyer ultimately decided not to continue operating the airline, causing the sudden shutdown.
By June, Silver’s fleet had dwindled to just 8 ATR turboprop aircraft. The workforce shrank from roughly 700 employees in 2024 to approximately 348.
The shutdown leaves hundreds of employees—pilots, flight attendants, and ground staff—without jobs, with no clear severance timelines announced.
Airports across Florida, including Tampa, Pensacola, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Key West, and Tallahassee, reported last-minute cancellations and stranded travelers.
At Pensacola International Airport, passengers recounted no staff presence, no advance notification, and canceled flights despite late bookings weartv.com.
Travel advisors warned of limited seat availability and ahigh costs for finding alternative flights on short notice .
Founded in 2011, Silver Airways emerged from the assets of Gulfstream International, operating nearly 28 destinations at its peak. It maintained hubs in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, and serviced the Caribbean and Bahamas in addition to Key West. Silver also acquired Seaborne Airlines in 2018—a seaplane operator between St. Croix and St. Thomas—but Seaborne will continue independent operations despite the parent company’s collapse. The airline faced operational challenges during the pandemic, including maintenance issues, flight delays, and eviction threats from airport authorities. In December 2024, Silver filed for Chapter 11 amid heavy debt—the company reportedly owed over $100 million, despite receiving a $5.7 million loan from Wexford.
Henry Harteveldt, airline analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, noted that airlines rarely shut down in the busy summer season. He called the shutdown “unusual,” especially since no buyer was willing to keep the airline operational. Drew Dawson, a bankruptcy law professor at the University of Miami, remarked that Silver had long operated "with very slim margins," and its shrinking fleet exacerbated cash-flow pressures.
What passengers should do now
If you held a credit card booking, contact your card issuer to process a refund.
If booked via a travel agency, you’ll need to apply for a refund or rebooking through that agency.
Nearby airports—such as Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Orlando—still provide alternative flight options to resume travel.
Many airports have issued their own advisories and routed displaced passengers to other carriers
