note

Founded by former Eastern pilot, Tom Cooper, and began operations as an air-taxi between Miami, Cap Haitien, Cuba, and the Bahamas. Scheduled flying began December 1, 1990 between Florida and the Bahamas. Gulfstream began code-sharing with United in 1994 and became a Continental Connection carrier in 1997. In August 1998, its parent acquired Paradise Island Airways, which it continued to operate separately under the Gulfstream banner. Paradise was eventually sold to US Airways in 2003.

In 2008 it added routes out of Cleveland to several points in the northeast as Continental Connection. In 2010, it added EAS routes from Billings as an independent carrier.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 4, 2010, citing high fuel costs, declining traffic, and debt burden. It was purchased out of bankruptcy by Victory Park Capital - an investment firm from Chicago. The new parent, VPAA, rebranded the company as Silver Airways on December 15, 2011. The new company acquired a fleet of SAAB 340s as replacements for Beech 1900s.

In summer 2012, it added EAS routes from Washington-Dulles which were operated as United Express. It also added service from Atlanta to points in Alabama and Mississippi as well as to Greenbrier WV and Gainesville. The Montana flights ended in 2013, while Cleveland and Atlanta services ended in early 2014.

In 2016, Versa Capital Management acquired a majority stake in Silver. In 2017 it announced an planned order for 20 ATR aircraft, to be used as SAAB replacements. Then in April 2018, it announced the acquisition of Seaborne Airlines, which operated a seaplane service between St. Thomas and St. Croix, as well as SAAB 340 flights from San Juan. Seaborne's SAAB flights were operated separately until ATRs were delivered.

In November 2021, Silver began operating a small fleet of ATR 72 freighters for Amazon. The ATR's doors and cargo systems were not compatible with Amazon's ground equipment, so the operation ended in July 2023.

Silver ended up filing for bankruptcy on December 30, 2024. The company cited losses in the problematic integration of its ATR fleet, the failed Amazon experiment, and its heavy debt load as factors.

founded - demised (age)

October 1988 - June 11 2025  (37)

headquarters

, Fort Lauderdale FL

web

www.gosilver.com	Website
www.silverairways.com	Reservations

base airports

related operators

Paradise Island Airlines	acquired
United Express	contract
Continental Connection	contract