This shouldn’t surprise anyone, but it’s finally happening — Florida-based Silver Airways is ceasing operations as of today.
Continue reading: RIP: Silver Airways Ceases Operations, Effective Immediately
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Have said it before but this is a devastating event for intercaribbean connectivity.
Sad.
I flew Silver several times intra-florida and to the Bahamas.
The ATR experience made the trips feel more tropical and exotic.
AA now gets to resume the “good ol days” of charging north of $500 RT for TLH-MIA nonstop itineraries.
It's sad in the sense that they filled a major hole in the connectivity of several Bahamian and Caribbean destinations that are otherwise a pain to get to. It's not sad in the sense that they were horribly run and had non-existent customer service. Hopefully someone fills their place soon.
Sad, for Silver would have been a good regional feeder airline for JetBlue. Both had hubs at SJU and FLL with Silver taking care of the short hops to the neighboring islands where jet service doesn't make sense.
However, with that debt load, anyone would have been scared away. Also, the JetBlue pilots contract forbids a regional arm of the airline.
Ben, there’s another major airline shutdown today, but it’s not immediate. Singapore’s Jetstar Asia Airways (3K) will be closed on 31 July, as the Qantas group refuses to revive the only Singapore-based airline not owned by the SIA group.
In hindsight, 3K was suffering for a long time, and couldn’t expand beyond 13 A320ceos a decade old or more. The shift to Changi Terminal 4 effectively killed its core business of transit passengers from Terminal 1, and that was a death blow it couldn’t recover from. I always cheered for this little airline, so it’s sad to see it go, but it should fly into the sunset on a high.
Interestingly, the two airlines’ IATA codes were very similar: 3K for Jetstar Asia and 3M for Silver!
The gap maybe filled by another Cape Air like airline without the debtload Silver had encumbered. If the routes are profitable, another airline will serve them. Bahamas Air maybe the one.
Another airline’s future murdered by pilots unions. We really have to bust those unions to allow companies like this to be sold as a regional airline
Lucky's favorite airlines seem to have been Silver Airways and Air Belgium. Sorry Lucky.
One has to ask how much deferred maintenance those ATR's are carrying.
As for Silver, they had some interesting niches in their service. One was JAX-PNS. Both home to major US Naval bases. People sometimes don t realize just how big Florida is. (It's a 6 hour drive by car)
Its not much different than Allegiants BLV-VPS route which ties two major USAF air bases.
The only downfall to the use of the ATR was if there was least amount of inclement weather, Silver was always first to cancel.
The Pilots Union has nothing to do with a poorly managed airline. Airlines require ridiculous amounts of money to operate. I really want my pilots treated well by their companies.
Scott Kirby is that you again??
Lol what a terrible take. Those silver guys and girls made 64k a year average. I bet you make more than that. They had low cost labor and still messed it up.
This VT-CIE is visualizing stuff again.
T1 transfers did not kill 3K. Almost no one transit that way.
What you should have picked up is how the authoritarian government forces out competition by sending their major competitors to the less desirable T4 while also making sure T4 will always be less desirable. Brainwashing people using lipstick on T4.
I think another strike against Silver was the loss of the Amazon contract to carry packages with two ATR freighters. That would have been steady revenue as opposed to seasonal PAX loads.
I am somewhat sad to see them go. Flying out of Tampa, my partner and I had them on our bucket list to fly over to FLL or up to TLH. Alas, won't happen.
I suspect none of Silver's employee's were unionized. And Florida is a
" right to work " state.
Sad. Silver filled a nice little niche with intra Florida travel. Now it seems AA has retaken its monopoly on that.
At the very least though, it must have felt pretty special to be on the final Silver Airways flight yesterday.
Jetstar Asia in Singapore is ceasing operations on 31 July too. Another one bites the dust
Silver Airways was the rebranding of Gulfstream International (cert GUUA428B)
They always had mysterious revenue streams.
https://culturewars.com/news/the-demise-of-the-airline-pilot
Covid is also a nasty part of the story. I think the airline suffered when people were hesitant to fly off to vacation spots and that was a huge part of their business.
i have never flew silver airways but im an plane lover...im 9 years old i have anger illness and maybe mentel illness iv'e become crazy....
(im her son)