This Airline Abruptly Shut Down Leaving Caribbean-bound Travelers Completely Stranded—What to Know

Travel + Leisure

a day ago

Travelers visiting the Caribbean should carefully review their upcoming travel plans.
Regional airline Silver Airways, which operated local flights through the region, has abruptly shut down all operations.
'We regret to inform you that we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025,' the airline shared in an Instagram post directed to customers.
For passengers who have a scheduled Silver Airways flight, the airline says they should not go to the airport, and credit card refunds will be processed directly to travel agencies and individual credit card holders.
Silver Airways announced on Dec. 30, 2024 that it had "voluntarily filed for Chapter 11" bankruptcy protection, and said that all tickets would remain valid. During that process, the airline says it tried finding a buyer, but ultimately had to close. 'Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately has determined to not continue Silver's flight operations in Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean,' the airline added in its post to customers. Travelers shared frustration, sharing they were unaware that Silver Airways was facing financial difficulties, and booked a ticket for an upcoming trip, even checking in for the flight successfully the evening before the shutdown.
'No email. No text,' the traveler shared in the social media thread on Reddit. 'I was very much one of those people who showed up at the airport and waited by the gate and realized that no one was there. Insane.' Other travelers shared previous frustration with the airline, saying they were stranded in the Bahamas.
"Sad day," one traveler shared in a comment on the social media thread about the closure. "I feel bad for all the employees." The airline operated an extensive route network connecting Florida, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean islands. Frequent visitors to the area may be familiar with Seaborne Airlines, which Silver Airways acquired in 2018. For travelers facing a rebooking situation, many airlines service the route network that Silver maintained. For example, for travelers visiting St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (STT), American Airlines, Cape Air, JetBlue, Spirit, and United Airlines provide flights to the island.