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The history of Silver Airways, Florida's regional carrier which says it's in 'dire need' of a bailout to survive the coronavirus crisishttps://www.businessinsider.in/slideshows/miscellaneous/the-history-of-silver-airways-floridas-regional-carrier-which-says-its-in-dire-need-of-a-bailout-to-survive-the-coronavirus-crisis/slidelist/74816877.cms2020-03-25T21:43:40+05:30

The history of Silver Airways, Florida's regional carrier which says it's in 'dire need' of a bailout to survive the coronavirus crisis

Mar 25, 2020, 21:43 IST

Though largely independent, Silver also operated some regional flights under the United Express brand in Washington, DC and Cleveland, Ohio for a short period of time, stopping in 2017.

Source: Silver Airways

Though largely independent, Silver also operated some regional flights under the United Express brand in Washington, DC and Cleveland, Ohio for a short period of time, stopping in 2017.

Source: Silver Airways

The stint put the airline on the public radar after a Silver flight operating on behalf of United landed at the wrong airport on an intra-West Virginia flight from Morgantown to Clarksburg, a 25-nautical mile sector.

Taking advantage of its proximity to Cuba, Silver became the first airline to sell tickets on scheduled flights to the island. The airline later flew the first regular service following the opening of Cuba.

Before flights to Cuba began, however, Silver underwent a recapitalization that saw the entrance of its current owners, Versa Capital Management.

As the airline matured, non-Florida routes were largely cut as the airline shifted its focus back on the Sunshine State and closed its DC base.

The number of routes the airline operated within the state, underserved by the major carriers outside of hub cities, soared as well as service to nearby Bahamas from major cities in Florida, operating more flights in Florida than any other.

An attempt by the airline to expand to Branson, Missouri failed even before the first flight launched but the airline was awarded a single Essential Air Service Route between Boston and Bar Harbor, Maine. Its northernmost route, Silver was subsidized to the tune of $1.4 million to fly it for the summer season.

The airline also expanded south, acquiring San Juan-based Seaborne Airlines, which operates a similar business model to Silver by offering regional flights independently while codesharing with major airlines. The acquisition gave Silver the foothold it needed to eventually form a base in San Juan.

After years of operating a single aircraft type, Silver decided to upgrade to a larger turboprop, the 46-seat ATR 72-600, ordering 19 with options for 30 more.

The larger ATR's would be the backbone of Silver's San Juan expansion to St. Thomas and St. Croix, announced just weeks before the full impact of the coronavirus on aviation was realized.

"Immediate and direct assistance is both respectfully requested and required," said CEO Steven Rossum in a letter to the federal government.

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