Tourism Minister: Silver Airways Announcement Not Surprising

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MIAMI – The sudden announcement by Silver Airways that it is ceasing all flight operations is having a significant impact on The Bahamas, leaving multiple islands without an international carrier and forcing officials into swift action to close the travel gap.

Silver Airways, which serviced key islands such as Abaco, Grand Bahama, Exuma, Eleuthera, Bimini, and New Providence, released a travel advisory Tuesday night informing passengers that all operations would cease as of June 11th. The advisory instructed passengers not to go to the airport and assured that all credit card purchases would be refunded.

The airline cited an attempt to restructure under bankruptcy proceedings. As part of that process, Silver entered into a transaction to sell its assets to another airline holding company, one that ultimately decided not to continue flight operations in Florida, The Bahamas, or the wider Caribbean.

In response to the fallout, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments, and Aviation, Chester Cooper, says the government is actively engaging airline partners to address the sudden loss in service.

“We have Bahamasair, and we have already engaged Bahamasair directly about what additional routes we might provide,” said Cooper. “We’re looking at the data, and we are going to make some assessments over the next day or two, and we’ll take some decisions as to the next steps in the best interests of Bahamasair and the best interests of Bahamas tourism.”

Cooper was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting in Miami with other airline partners. He emphasized that Silver Airways had catered to both tourists and locals, offering a range of routes, but was particularly valued for its direct service to Tampa, Florida.

“Tampa is an area where we will need to have some deep discussions with our partners because that was a niche that they provided a service in,” Cooper explained. “But in all of the other markets, there’s Bahamasair, American, Delta, and other airlines standing ready to increase capacity and pick up the slack, so to speak.”

The Ministry of Tourism says it is committed to minimizing disruption and ensuring The Bahamas remains easily accessible to international visitors and returning residents. Further updates are expected as route assessments continue.