Silver Airways Shuts Down Leaving Passengers Scrambling for Flights

TAMPA, Florida — Silver Airways, a Florida-based airline, announced it is shutting down all operations effective June 11. The airline made this announcement on social media, stating that it is ceasing operations while attempting to restructure in bankruptcy.

According to the company, they have entered into a transaction to sell their assets to another airline holding company, which decided not to continue Silver’s flight operations in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Passengers were left scrambling for last-minute flights to their destinations.

The social media post urged customers, “Please do not go to the airport.” Silver offered nonstop flights to notable locations such as Fort Lauderdale, Key West, and Pensacola out of Tampa International Airport.

Melissa Helfer, who had planned a trip to Key West, said, “I woke up at 4 a.m., saw a notification, looked at it, thinking it was a reminder again to check in, and that’s when we were told that it was canceled.” She expressed her frustration, noting, “We’ve been planning since March. It’s kind of like our Mother’s Day gift to ourselves. Now we have to scramble to figure out how we’re getting there.”

Another passenger highlighted the high costs of alternative flight options due to the short notice. Katy Nastro, a travel expert from the Going travel app, advised passengers to act quickly in finding new flights. “If they’re taking another flight out of the schedules that’s no longer going to exist, that means that there’s one less flight and much less seat options for you to get rebooked on,” said Nastro.

For travelers looking for a silver lining, Nastro provided some positive news. “The average price of airfare is down another 2.5% month over month and roughly 8% year over year, so that’s good news for anybody that is looking to book future travel for, say, Thanksgiving or the winter holidays,” she noted.

Silver Airways stated customers who made purchases with credit cards should seek refunds through their credit card companies or travel agencies. However, Helfer recounted her frustrating experience navigating customer support. “I’ve been on hold for over an hour now with their customer support, which I don’t think I’m going to actually get through with someone, so I probably will have to dispute that with the bank,” she said.

On December 30, 2024, Silver Airways announced it had voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. They claimed the move would strengthen their position as a competitive airline, benefiting their customers.