Cape Air, InterCaribbean step in as Silver Airways exits BVI
Joel Auerbach/Getty Images
Florida-based regional carrier Silver Airways has halted all flights to the British Virgin Islands after telling customers on Wednesday, “we are ceasing operations as of today, June 11, 2025.”
The Instagram notice added, “Please do not go to the airport. All credit card purchases should be refunded through your credit card company or your travel agency.”
Silver, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last December, said it had agreed to sell its assets to another holding company that chose not to keep its Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean routes. The move leaves the territory without the carrier that linked Terrance B Lettsome International Airport (EIS) to San Juan, Santo Domingo and other regional hubs.
The BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA) said it had “closely monitored the situation surrounding Silver Airways for several months” and opened “lines of communication” with the airline during that period. The Authority said it recognises the importance of reliable air service to the territory and has been working with alternative carriers to absorb demand.
BVIAA named Cape Air and InterCaribbean Airways as immediate replacements on the busy San Juan–Tortola route. InterCaribbean also issued a travel advisory, noting that it acknowledges the “announced closure of Silver Airways scheduled flights and the resulting disruption to travellers throughout the Caribbean” and is offering rebooking help for passengers to or from San Juan, Tortola and Dominica.
Long road to collapse
Silver’s exit ends a seven-year relationship with the Virgin Islands that began when the airline bought Caribbean operator Seaborne Airlines in 2018, promising “expanded service” across the region.
Hopes of growth persisted in 2019 when BVIAA told legislators that Silver planned to deploy larger ATR-72 aircraft on the Beef Island–San Juan route “in the first quarter of 2020”, aiming to “provide greater accessibility and enhanced service delivery to the territory”.
Those plans never fully materialised, and Silver’s bankruptcy filing signalled deeper financial strain. According to BVIAA, most carriers on the EIS–SJU corridor have now boosted seat capacity to cushion the fallout.
Travellers holding unused Silver tickets are being urged to seek charge-backs from their credit card issuers or refunds via travel agents. Customers needing to reach Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic or other destinations should contact Cape Air or InterCaribbean for new itineraries, BVIAA advised.
The authority said it “remains committed to enhancing air service to the Virgin Islands by increasing route options and strengthening connectivity”.
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NEVER AGAIN. They make Liat look good. Too many bad experiences, over and over again.
This is a real shame. Silver provided an excellent service in my experience. Cape Air is good but ferociously expensive. Inter Caribbean is often unreliable.
Situations like this are often due to an embezzelment of money…
To say Cape and Inter have stepped up isn’t accurate. Yes, if they have a seat and you need one, you can fly with them on their regular schedule. It’s a bit too soon to say otherwise but time will tell if they increase their flights and if IC will improve their service. It is unlikely that a airline with reputation such as IC will turn around because another competitor gone out of business. We will see and hope for the best
Caribbean routes have historically been economically unsustainable!
Every airline that tried it, has given up in defeat, or went bankrupt!
There’s just not enough populace with deep pockets, that can sustain such a venture!
And there never will be!
Cape Air tooo expensive inter Caribbean is muck and delay