Silver Airways has abruptly halted service to Orlando, Florida, as it spars with an aircraft lessor. Orlando was the regional airline’s fifth-largest station with up to six daily flights.
In late 2024, Silver filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which revealed debts exceeding $500 million. In a statement to the Sun Sentinel, an airline spokesperson said the restructuring effort “has been going exceedingly well.”
However, one of the airline’s aircraft lessors, TrueNoord, “reversed its previously stated position” and demanded Silver pay to keep these aircraft, the spokesperson added.
According to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data, TrueNoord owns three Silver aircraft, including one ATR 72 and two ATR 42s. These aircraft have since been taken out of active service.
“In addition to this last-minute financial demand, TrueNoord ordered the immediate grounding of the aircraft, giving us no chance to operate the flights our customers were relying on,” the carrier stated. “We are working with our customers to rebook itineraries and minimize inconvenience for travelers. We are continuing to operate our schedules from our Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, and San Juan gateways.”
FlightAware data shows that 16% of Silver’s flights on Monday were canceled, while 34% were delayed.
Exits Trade Group
In addition, the carrier is no longer a member of the Regional Airline Association. Silver had just rejoined the trade group in 2022.
The association was founded in 1975 and represents most U.S. regional airlines, including large operators such as SkyWest and Republic. Currently, 14 regional airlines are members of the RAA.
