Airline seeks to expand service

A 1-year-old Fort Lauderdale-based turboprop airline with a focus on Florida intrastate flights will expand its options in Tampa — and the Sarasota-Manatee region could be next.

The airline, Silver Airways, was built out of the remnants of Gulfstream International Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Silver Airways, with no planes larger than 34 seats, recently announced it would add nonstop flights from Tampa International Airport to Jacksonville International Airport in August. Southwest Airlines previously announced plans to terminate its Tampa-Jacksonville nonstop service in August.

Past the Tampa expansion, moreover, rumors abound that Silver Airways will add nonstop flights to and from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport. Matthew Holliday, vice president of marketing and sales at Silver Airways, wouldn't comment on specific location sites, though he says expansion somewhere in Florida is a near certainty. “There are a lot of communities in the state that need this air service,” Holliday tells Coffee Talk.

Speaking specifically about Sarasota-Bradenton, Holliday says it's an area “we think has potential.” Adds Holliday: “We think a number of people would rather fly out of Sarasota than Tampa or even St. Petersburg.”

Silver Airways, founded in May 2011, has so far succeeded where several other airlines have failed: Florida intrastate air service. In fact, Holliday says passenger counts in June are up 90% so far over June 2011.

Plus, the airline offers more than the Sunshine State. In addition to Florida, it currently operates 120 turboprop daily flights to destinations in the Bahamas, Montana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Nonstop service from Tampa includes Fort Lauderdale, Key West and Tallahassee. Silver Airways flies through an alliance agreement with United Airlines and Copa Airlines.

Chicago-based investment firm Victory Park Capital owns Silver Airways. Victory Park founded the airline after it bought some assets from the bankrupt Gulfstream International Airlines in 2010. The Silver Airways fleet includes Saab 340Bplus aircrafts and Beechcraft 1900D aircrafts. The Saab 340Bplus planes are the largest in the fleet, with a 34-seat capacity.