FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Silver Airways, a Broward-based airline company, shut down all operations on Wednesday, according to officials, resulting in over 500 employees losing their jobs overnight.
The company released a travel advisory on Instagram stating in part:
“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 last flight for the airlines was grounded at around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Several flights scheduled to take off Wednesday morning have since been canceled.
Passengers told 7News they woke up to the news without warning, finding out from gate agents that there were not going to be any more flights.
“We came in from Wellington. We drove in, and when we got to the airport, we couldn’t find the Silver sign. Then we found out from United that our flight was canceled because they went out of business,” said passenger Clem Kasinskas. “We were ready to take our one-hour flight to Tampa. I think if they gave us a little more heads-up, we would have made other arrangements, and now it’s really thrown our plans into a tizzy.”
Kasinskas woke up at 5 a.m. to board a round-trip business flight to Tampa. He said he received no text, email or notification that operations were suspended.
7News cameras captured planes associated with Silver Airways parked on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with nowhere to go, empty check-in counters and information boards listing cancelled flights.
According to the company, all credit card purchases should be refunded.
Over 500 employees, save for a select few to deal with asset management, were released from their jobs.
Dozens of workers, including pilots and flight attendants, attended a bankruptcy hearing regarding the company’s assets on Wednesday morning.
During the hearing, a judge told the company it was “pathetic” no one was there in person.
None wanted to speak on camera following the meeting.
The company has been in a Chapter 11 bankruptcy process since late 2024. Over the past few months, they have reportedly been riddled with issues such as cancellations.
Due to a battery incident that took place on Memorial Day weekend, the company states they have lost over $1 million in wages.
7News has reached out to the holding company for a statement but has not heard back.
Copyright 2025 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.