Hattiesburg losing Silver Airways

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Silver Airways served notice that it intends to pull service from the Hattiesburg-Laurel Regional Airport and other airports. Hattiesburg-Laurel Executive Director Tom Heanue said he received a call from airline officials Wednesday to let him know Silver intended to file 90-day Notice of Termination papers. Silver informed him that it was shutting down the bulk of its Atlanta operations. Silver began providing connections from Hattiesburg to Atlanta in 2012 after Delta Air Lines said in 2011 that it was dropping 24 routes in smaller markets across the nation, including Hattiesburg. Silver Airways, a regional carrier based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was awarded the routes as the Essential Air Service subsidy jumped from about $1.4 million annually to about $2.9 million. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 04/09/14) Previous: Delta cutting 24 markets; Silver Airways to serve airports