Access selected deals available with budget and full-service airlines
Lock any airfare that sounds great. You don’t lose anything if you cancel it
Call us anytime for any assistance. We do not go into hibernation
Your personal and financial information stays secure with us
Silver Airways LLC is a U.S. regional airline headquartered in Hollywood, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale, known for its focus on connecting smaller markets in the Southeast U.S., Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Operating under the IATA code 3M, Silver Airways serves as a vital link for regional travel, leveraging its hubs in Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Tampa International Airport (TPA), and San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU). Below is a comprehensive overview of Silver Airways’ history, operations, fleet, services, challenges, and future outlook.
Silver Airways was founded in 2011, emerging from the assets of Gulfstream International Airlines, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on November 4, 2010. In May 2011, Victory Park Capital, a Philadelphia-based private equity firm, acquired Gulfstream’s assets, including 21 Beechcraft 1900D aircraft, and rebranded the airline as Silver Airways, commencing operations on December 15, 2011. Initially operating as Continental Connection for Continental Airlines, Silver transitioned to United Express after the 2012 Continental-United merger, ending this affiliation in July 2013.
Silver Airways expanded rapidly in 2012, relocating its maintenance facilities from Fort Lauderdale to Gainesville Regional Airport, utilizing a former Eclipse Aviation facility. The airline acquired 12 Saab 340 aircraft, launching services in Florida and the Bahamas, and added routes from Gainesville to Orlando and Tampa. That year, Silver expanded to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), serving destinations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia, and to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) for routes in Mississippi and Alabama. A notable incident occurred on August 7, 2012, when a Silver flight landed at the wrong airport, garnering national attention. Silver also operated in Montana from 2011 to mid-2013, serving eight cities from Billings under Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts, which provided $20,515,042 in federal subsidies as of November 2013.
In February 2015, Silver opened a 38,000-square-foot maintenance headquarters at Orlando International Airport (MCO) under a 30-year lease, but ceased Gainesville operations in August 2015 after missing hangar payments. In 2016, Silver applied to serve ten Cuban cities from five Florida airports but was granted only nine, excluding Havana. On April 23, 2018, Silver acquired Seaborne Airlines, enhancing its Caribbean presence. From November 2021 to July 2023, Silver operated cargo feeder flights for Amazon Air using two ATR 72-500s, connecting Albuquerque and Des Moines to Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
On December 30, 2024, Silver Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, aiming to restructure and exit by Q1 2025. On March 2, 2025, the airline abruptly ceased operations at Orlando (MCO), with two aircraft (N408SV, N409SV) ferried from San Juan to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, via South Carolina and Sioux Falls. Despite these challenges, Silver continues to operate, focusing on its core markets.
As of April 2025, Silver Airways operates a fleet of approximately 20 ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 aircraft, designed for regional routes with 46–70 seats. The airline phased out Saab 340s and Beechcraft 1900Ds by 2019, becoming the first U.S. carrier to operate the ATR 72-600, certified in November 2019. Silver’s fleet supports 75 daily scheduled flights across its hubs in Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Tampa (TPA), and San Juan (SJU), with plans to reduce its ATR fleet post-bankruptcy.
Silver serves 18 destinations, including domestic routes to Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Charleston, and international routes to Bimini, Freeport, George Town, Marsh Harbour, Governor’s Harbour, Puerto Plata, La Romana, and Antigua. Recent expansions include nonstop flights from San Juan to Puerto Plata (POP), La Romana (LRM), and Antigua (ANU), launched in 2024. The airline is the largest U.S. carrier serving the Bahamas and holds codeshare agreements with United Airlines, JetBlue, Azul, Avianca, and Copa, with interline partnerships with Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, All Nippon Airways, and Delta.
Silver’s maintenance facility at Orlando International Airport, previously used by Comair, supports its ATR fleet, with rigorous checks every 2.5 months. However, the airline faced eviction threats at FLL in April 2023 for unpaid rent since 2021, reflecting financial strains.