Why Silver Airways just halted some Florida flights, and what it means for travelers

Regional airline Silver Airways of Fort Lauderdale, which has been operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, halted its service at Orlando International Airport over the weekend after three of its aircraft were repossessed by the owner.

The action came after the cash-strapped carrier failed to reach an agreement to renew an extension that would have allowed it to continue to fly the planes for another 60 days. The airline is still serving travelers through Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Puerto Rico with the remaining 11 leased planes still in its fleet, the company said in a statement Monday. The airline, which was founded more than 13 years ago, serves Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, with a large “gateway” at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Travel disruptions for Silver customers at Orlando International started Saturday when the airline abruptly canceled all of its operations: “We received notification Saturday afternoon that, effective immediately, all departing and arriving flights with Silver Airways are canceled,” according to a statement from Angela Starke, senior vice president of public affairs for the airport.

Read the full story at sun-sentinel.com.