NEW ORLEANS – On Thursday, June 16, 2015, Silver Airways will begin twice daily service to Birmingham, AL (BHM) and once daily service to Pensacola, FL (PNS) onboard a 34-seat Saab 340B Plus turbo-prop aircraft.
These two new destinations add to the growing number of non-stop cities from New Orleans now totaling forty-eight (48), a new record for the Airport.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the airline of choice for Florida and the Bahamas to the Southeast,” said Silver Airways CEO Sami Teittinen. “We look forward to providing customers with our convenient and much needed flights linking New Orleans with Birmingham and Pensacola, as well as one-stop connections to other Silver Airways destinations in Florida.”
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu stated, “We are pleased to welcome this new airline to our great city, adding increased transportation between these two popular markets.”
“These additional flights to Birmingham and Pensacola reflect the strength of our traffic in markets that have been top requests of our business and tourism community,” said New Orleans Aviation Board Chairwoman, Cheryl Teamer.
“This latest announcement is another example of the progress and upward trend our city continues to witness. Our airport is climbing to new heights every day,” stated New Orleans Councilman Jared Brossett, Chair of the Transportation and Aviation Committee.
Director of Aviation, Iftikhar Ahmad said, “With Silver Airways’ announcement today, we now have 15 airlines serving 48 non-stop destinations. This is a new record for our airport giving our passengers more options than ever.”
Silver Airways operates more routes within Florida and between Florida and the Bahamas than any other airline. The airline averages nearly 145 daily flights to 27 destinations in Florida and the Bahamas, as well as the Mid-Atlantic region from Washington-Dulles. Silver is a codeshare partner with JetBlue and United Airlines, and has interline agreements with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Bahamasair, Hahn Air, and All Nippon Airways. Silver’s fleet is comprised of 27 highly reliable and fuel-efficient 34-seat Saab 340B Plus turbo-prop aircraft. With the lowest accident rate of any other commercial aircraft, Saab is the safest in the world. Silver is privately owned by Victory Park Capital, a Chicago-based investment firm that launched the airline in May 2011.
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is the primary commercial airport in the State of Louisiana serving over 80% of all passengers flying into the State. Armstrong International Airport is owned by the City of New Orleans. The New Orleans Aviation Board (NOAB), an unattached board of the City of New Orleans, oversees the administration, operation, and maintenance of Armstrong International. With this announcement by Silver Airways, the Airport now has 15 airlines providing service to 48 non-stop destinations, including four international destinations. A new world-class terminal complex is currently in the final design. The new North Terminal will be complete by May 2018 in time for the 300th anniversary of the City of New Orleans.
