History of Silver Airways in Timeline

Silver Airways is a regional airline based in Hollywood, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale. Established in 2011 from the assets of Gulfstream International Airlines, it operated scheduled flights from hubs in Fort Lauderdale, Tampa (Florida), and San Juan (Puerto Rico). The airline commenced flight operations on December 15, 2011.

November 4, 2010: Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

On November 4, 2010, Gulfstream International Airlines filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.

May 2011: Victory Park Capital Buys Assets

In May 2011, Victory Park Capital acquired the assets of Gulfstream International Group, including 21 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft, from Raytheon Aircraft Credit Corporation. The company had been operating as Continental Connection for Continental Airlines.

December 15, 2011: Airline Started Flying

On December 15, 2011, Silver Airways officially began its flight operations.

April 1, 2012: Operated as United Express

On April 1, 2012, upon the merger of Continental Airlines into United Airlines, Silver Airways operated as United Express.

August 7, 2012: Flight Landed at Wrong Airport

On August 7, 2012, Silver Airways gained national attention when one of its flights mistakenly landed at the wrong airport.

February 11, 2013: Hired Dave Pflieger

On February 11, 2013, Victory Park Capital announced the hiring of Dave Pflieger, an industry veteran, to help strengthen and grow Silver Airways.

June 28, 2013: Ceasing Montana Operations

On June 28, 2013, Silver Airways announced it would discontinue its operations in Montana over the next few months due to the Department of Transportation's decision to eliminate subsidized service in Lewistown and Miles City.

July 15, 2013: Service Ended for Lewistown and Miles City

Service ended after the last flights on July 15, 2013, for Lewistown and Miles City.

July 2013: Ended Affiliation with United

In July 2013, Silver Airways' affiliation with United Airlines ended.

September 2013: Announced Network Expansion

In September 2013, Silver Airways announced an expansion of its intra-Florida and Florida–Bahamas network.

November 2013: Received Federal Subsidies

In November 2013, Silver Airways received $20,515,042 in annual federal subsidies for Essential Air Services provided to rural airports in the United States.

February 2014: Secured Additional Financing

In February 2014, Silver Airways and its owners, Victory Park Capital, announced they had obtained up to $73 million in additional financing from GB Credit Partners, LLC, the investment management affiliate of Gordon Brothers Group and Crystal Financial LLC. They also planned to strengthen its core network and Saab 340B+ fleet.

March 2014: Completed First IOSA Audit

In March 2014, Silver Airways successfully completed its first IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

May 2014: New Partnership and Reservations System

In May 2014, Silver Airways announced a new partnership with JetBlue and launched its own independent reservations system, becoming a stand-alone airline.

January 2015: Added Panama City, Florida

In January 2015, Silver Airways included Panama City, Florida, as a destination by starting services to Orlando and Tampa from the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The airline also announced a direct service between Jacksonville and Tampa.

February 27, 2015: Previewed new maintenance headquarters

On February 27, 2015, Silver Airways previewed its new maintenance headquarters at Orlando International Airport, featuring a 38,000 square foot maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility.

August 2015: Ended Gainesville service

In August 2015, Silver Airways ended its service in Gainesville, several months after missing and restructuring payments on its Gainesville maintenance hangar.

March 2, 2016: Applied for Cuban Service

On March 2, 2016, Silver Airways applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide service from five Florida cities to ten Cuban cities, but was later only granted nine Cuban cities and denied a Havana route.

June 2, 2016: Announced Partnership for Recruiting Pilots

On June 2, 2016, Silver Airways, Great Lakes Airlines and Frontier Airlines announced a partnership for recruiting pilots.

September 13, 2016: Acquired by Versa Capital Management

On September 13, 2016, it was announced that a majority stake of Silver Airways had been acquired by Versa Capital Management LLC, a private equity firm based in Philadelphia.

August 1, 2017: Ordered ATR 42-600 Aircraft

On August 1, 2017, Silver Airways announced an order for 20 ATR 42-600 aircraft, with options for up to 30 more.

April 23, 2018: Acquired Seaborne Airlines

On April 23, 2018, Silver Airways announced the acquisition of Seaborne Airlines, a San Juan-based airline serving the Caribbean.

November 2019: Codeshare Partnership

In November 2019, Silver Airways established a codeshare partnership with Delta Air Lines and American Airlines to offer single ticket booking with baggage transfers to destinations in the Caribbean.

February 2020: Announced New Services

In February 2020, Silver Airways announced new services to Charleston International Airport from Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa hubs. The services were postponed until November 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 2020: Introduced services to San Juan

In March 2020, Silver announced the introduction of its own services to its San Juan base, previously acquired with Seaborne Airlines. Routes launched in phases between March and July 2020 as more ATR 42-600 aircraft were delivered.

July 2020: Routes launched as ATR 42-600 aircraft were delivered

Silver Airways continued to launch routes from its San Juan base through July 2020, as more of the airline's ATR 42-600 aircraft were delivered.

November 2020: Started New Services

In November 2020, Silver Airways finally started its new services to Charleston International Airport from its hubs in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa.

November 9, 2021: Began Contract Flying for Amazon Air

On November 9, 2021, Silver Airways started contract flying for Amazon Air, using two ATR 72-500 aircraft for feeder flights from Albuquerque and Des Moines to Amazon's hub at Fort Worth Alliance Airport.

July 2023: Amazon Cut Ties with Silver

In July 2023, Amazon ended its partnership with Silver Airways, discontinuing the airline's cargo services.

December 30, 2024: Filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

On December 30, 2024, Silver Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, expecting to continue operations during the procedure and planning to exit bankruptcy by the first quarter of 2025.

March 2, 2025: Ceased Flying out of Orlando

On March 2, 2025, Silver Airways abruptly stopped flying out of Orlando. At least two aircraft, N408SV and N409SV, were ferried from San Juan to Coeur D’Alene (COE), with routing via South Carolina and Sioux Falls starting on March 1. Further fleet exits occurred through April and May.

June 11, 2025: Ceased Operations

On June 11, 2025, Silver Airways ceased all flight operations after its assets were sold to an unnamed company that chose to discontinue the airline's operations.