Silver Airways Declares Bankruptcy, Plans To Keep Flying

Updated: December 31, 2024, 1:29pm CST

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Turboprop-Only Carrier Files for Bankruptcy Protection
Flights Remain Operational
Final Thoughts

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Silver Airways, a regional airline based in Fort Lauderdale and serving the Caribbean as well as several destinations in Florida, has filed for bankruptcy.

The airline said that it’s going to keep flying during the bankruptcy process and that passengers won’t experience disruptions.

Here’s what this means for travelers.

Turboprop-Only Carrier Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Silver Airways is unusual among U.S. carriers since it operates only turboprops, not jets. It’s also an indipendent airline, not affiliated with any of the major alliances or owned by a larger carrier. And because it’s privately owned, its financial numbers aren’t publicly available.

What we know is that Silver Airways said in a statement on December 30 that it has “voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida.”

Like other airlines that have filed for bankruptcy protection, including Spirit Airlines this year, Silver isn’t shutting down. Bankruptcy laws allow it to continue operating while seeking an agreement with creditors to restructure its debt — plus find ways to reduce costs.

Silver said that filing under Chapter 11 “will allow us to secure additional capital and undertake a financial restructuring” to better compete. The airline said it aims to exit bankruptcy by the first quarter of 2025. That’s a 3-month timeline.

Flights Remain Operational

Silver Airways assured customers that all tickets remain valid and that it will continue operating as usual on its network spanning Florida, the Bahamas, and some Caribbean destinations via a secondary hub in San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU). Its main base is in Fort Lauderdale (FLL).

Silver Airways route map — The airline’s route network. Image Credit: Silver Airways

Flights can still be booked on the Silver site or any other channel, and the airline promises to honor tickets purchased through any other airline or agency.

While unaffiliated with other carriers, Silver has partnerships with JetBlue and United Airlines. Its flights can be booked on the JetBlue and United sites, and passengers can earn United’s MileagePlus or JetBlue’s TrueBlue points on its flights.

The airline said that “United and JetBlue customers, including loyalty program members, will experience no disruptions to their bookings or services.”

Silver Airways has a small but modern fleet of 46-seat ATR 42 and 70-seat ATR 72 turboprops, assembled in France by the Franco-Italian joint venture ATR. Its subsidiary Seaborne Airlines operates De Havilland Twin Otter seaplanes in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Bottom Line:

While Silver Airways is filing for bankruptcy, it plans to exit bankruptcy within a few months and plans to continue operations as normal along the way. Unless something changes, your flight shouldn’t be affected.

Final Thoughts

Silver Airways is a small player based in Fort Lauderdale, which you may be familiar with if you’ve flown to the Bahamas or the Caribbean, but it isn’t known nationally. It has filed for bankruptcy protection, and the airline said it will continue operating as it restructures its business.

If you’ve booked a flight on it, or are considering it, this financial decision should have no bearing on your travels.