Wednesday, June 11 was the end of the line for Silver Airlines after it abruptly stopped all operations and left thousands of passengers stranded, including some in Tallahassee.
David Pollard, Director of Aviation at Tallahassee International Airport, said the news dropped just before the carrier's morning flight from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale.
"We learned about it through social media channels," Pollard told WFSU. "We did not receive a direct notification, and it was very disappointing to see travelers here at Tallahassee International Airport that had to go through the inconvenience of the announcement in that manner. They had previously eliminated the Tampa service and now the Fort Lauderdale direct service."
Silver Airlines had declared bankruptcy late last year. The abrupt shuttering of the carrier follows last fall's demise of the short-lived Jet Blue route that ferried passengers from Tallahassee to South Florida. United left the Tallahassee market in 2021.
Pollard says the shutdown of Silver leaves a significant service gap that TLH International is looking to fill.
"(We're) certainly working hard to look at other options, whether existing carriers or new carriers, to fill that need and demand for intrastate service," he said.
Passengers holding Silver Airways tickets are now looking for word on how they can obtain refunds. Those who were employed by the carrier are also hoping for answers about their situation.
The loss of three airlines in four years has left Tallahassee with just two carriers—American and Delta.
