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Silver Airways decided, overnight —literally— to cease all operations,
leaving hundreds of passengers stranded like Tom Hanks in
The Terminal
, although, well, they were told not to go to the airport. Just like that, in the early morning of June 11, they released a statement announcing
they would no longer fly
, leaving hundreds of passengers without their trips in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean.
The statement warns customers “not to show up at the airport” and to claim their payments through credit card companies. With this move, the Fort Lauderdale-based airline confirms that the sale of its assets failed and that its process ended in the worst-case scenario: permanent shutdown.
The collapse of a regional airline
The end of Silver Airways didn’t catch us entirely by surprise. Last December 2024, the company had been warning of liquidity problems… And saddly, in January, they voluntarily filed for bankruptcy protection with the promise to keep flying while negotiating a sale to a rival holding…
But, the deal fell apart when the buyer deemed the routes between Florida and the Caribbean unviable, leaving the company without capital to keep its planes in the air.
A niche market at risk
Florida had four cities connected by this airline, Tampa, Key West, Tallahassee, and Pensacola, and daily connections to the Bahamas archipelago, which are crucial for regional tourism. With its disappearance, a gap opens up that other airlines have not yet filled. The question is whether another low-cost company will take advantage of the gap or if we’ll see a spike in fares due to reduced supply.
What to do if your flight was cancelled
The company has been clear: request the refund from your bank. Under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, passengers are entitled to a full refund of the unused trip when the airline cancels the flight and does not offer a reasonable alternative. The problem is that Silver also shut down its customer service center, forcing customers to go directly to payment issuers or travel agencies.
How to get your money back
Experts recommend immediately filing a dispute, attaching a screenshot of the official statement, and keeping all email exchanges. Issuing banks, under the Fair Credit Billing Act, can reverse the charge if they receive the claim within 60 days of the statement where the payment appears. Those who paid in cash or with debit depend on the outcome of the court process, which may take months.
And what about travel packages?
If you purchased a hotel and flight in a single package, the travel intermediary must handle the relocation or full refund. Agencies regulated by the DOT are required to protect the traveler, even if the final refund comes from the bankruptcy fund.
Could this kind of shutdown happen to other airlines?
The U.S. regional airline industry is facing a perfect storm: rising operating costs, a shortage of pilots, and competition from major airlines that absorb the most profitable routes. So no one rules out that other small companies might follow the same path if they can’t secure a steady flow of passengers to stay airborne.
Lessons for frequent travelers
This bitter chapter in aviation becomes a major lesson: plan your trip carefully, always pay with a credit card, and get travel insurance that covers business bankruptcy.
The closure of Silver Airways leaves a gap in the skies of the southeastern United States and creates a wave of problems for thousands of customers whose flights were cancelled. And now what? Many will ask. Well, it’s time to wait.
Una publicación compartida de Silver Airways (@flysilverairways)
