Employees Reeling After Silver Airways Ceases Operations

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Just minutes to midnight, Silver Airways announced via its social media platforms that it would no longer be servicing flights to The Bahamas.

The abrupt declaration has left both passengers and employees blindsided, as the airline’s sudden departure creates significant disruption in regional travel.

In its official statement, Silver Airways explained the unexpected move, citing its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The company said, “In an attempt to restructure in bankruptcy, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, who unfortunately determined to not continue Silver’s flight operations in Florida, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean.”

The statement also urged passengers not to go to the airport today, providing little clarity beyond the notice of canceled operations. But travelers weren’t the only ones who received the news overnight.

A former Silver Airways employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed they were informed of the company’s closure mere moments before the public announcement. The individual shared an internal email from the company’s CEO, officially confirming the end of operations for most of the airline’s staff.

Former Employee, Silver Airways:
“I got an email around 11:30 from the CEO saying that they would cease operations on the 11th of June, and then I received a message from the regional manager advising to not come to work, report to work today, and that the company has ceased operations.”

Silver Airways had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on December 30, 2024, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. Since that filing, its operations have steadily declined.

Former Employee, Silver Airways:
“We flew daily, then they took the flights down to four days a week, and even with all the cancellations, you are still not giving the service. You’d have passengers come, they would sit there all that time, and then abruptly Silver cancels. No reimbursement for the passengers, no hotel accommodations, and it would take them months to give back funding to the passengers who had purchased tickets.”

Although shocked by the sudden shutdown, the former employee says he has already begun searching for new employment. Still, he expressed frustration with how the situation was handled and called on the Bahamian government to take stronger action to protect its citizens.

Former Employee, Silver Airways:
“For too long I feel that we have private companies come in and they force their laws or their policies on the Bahamian people, when we have the labor law that is there to protect and to guide companies and to protect the citizens of The Bahamas. Hopefully with all of this that’s going on, the government will now go back, number one, amend that labor law, and ensure their citizens are protected.”

The fallout from Silver’s sudden exit is still unfolding, with tourism officials scrambling to fill the gap and restore vital airlift to the islands.