Spirit Airways
Update: Seaborne Airlines and Silver Airways told the Consortium Sunday that a U.S. Department of Transportation clearance to suspend certain routes, in Seaborne's and Sliver's case the USVI, Puerto Rico and Vieques, is a temporary, optional measure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Original Story: At least three airlines have been given authorization to reduce their services in the U.S. Virgin Islands, with United suspending one route, while Seaborne Airlines and Silver Airways, which are under same ownership but operate different routes, and Spirit Airlines suspending several stops.
The move comes as airlines forecast a long road to recovery following the all but halting of travel caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and as people forego travel plans even as countries and states start to loosen lockdown restrictions in phased reopening strategies.
The airlines were recipients of $25 billion from the $2.2 trillion Cares Act, funds that were supposed to be used to cover payroll costs, while stipulating that airlines not involuntarily furlough workers or cut pay rates through the end of September.
Yet with few flights and less work, airlines started arguing that the stipulation was impractical, and the U.S. Department of Transportation conceded, announcing earlier this month that it would allow domestic carriers to reduce or even drop certain airports.
The Dept. of Transportation, under the new rules, will allow each carrier to drop 5 percent of destinations served or 5 airports, whichever is greater. The airlines were given until May 18 to submit their plans.
Below, the suspensions the U.S. D.O.T. has approved (the suspensions were first reported by Live and Let's Fly).
Seaborne Virgin Islands Suspensions
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- St. Croix, VI – (STX)
- Culebra, PR – (CPX)
- San Juan, PR – (SJU)
- Vieques, PR – (VQS)
Silver Airways Suspensions
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- Huntsville, AL – (HSV)
- Key West, FL – (EYW)
- Tallahassee, FL – (TLH)
- Tampa, FL – (TPA)
Spirit Airlines Suspensions
- Asheville, NC – (AVL)
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- St. Croix, VI – (STX)
- Greensboro/High Point, NC – (GSO)
- Plattsburgh, NY – (PBG)
United Airlines Suspensions
- Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, PA – (ABE)
- St. Thomas, VI – (STT)
- Chattanooga, TN – (CHA)
- Fairbanks, AK – (FAI)
- Hilton Head, SC – (HHH)
- Ithaca/Cortland, NY – (ITH)
- Kalamazoo, MI – (AZO)
- Key West, FL – (EYW)
- Lansing, MI – (LAN)
- Myrtle Beach, SC – (MYR)
- Rochester, MN – (RST)
Alaska Airlines Suspensions
- Charleston, SC – (CHS)
- Columbus, OH – (CMH)
- El Paso, TX – (ELP)
- New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
- San Antonio, TX – (SAT)
Allegiant Air Suspensions
- New Orleans, LA – (MSY)
- Ogdensburg, NY – (OGS)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- San Antonio, TX – (SAT)
- Springfield, IL – (SPI)
- Tucson, AZ – (TUS)
American Airlines Suspensions
- Aspen, CO – (ASE)
- Eagle, CO – (EGE)
- Montrose, CO – (MTJ)
- Worcester, MA – (ORH)
Cape Air Suspensions
- Portland, ME – (PWM)
Corvus Airlines / Era Aviation / Ravn Alaska Suspensions
- Goodnews Bay, AK – (GNU)
- Kodiak, AK – (ADQ)
- Napakiak, AK – (WNA)
- Napaskiak, AK – (PKA)
- Platinum, AK – (PTU)
Delta Air Lines Suspensions
- Aspen, CO – (ASE)
- Bangor, ME – (BGR)
- Erie, PA – (ERI)
- Flint, MI – (FNT)
- Fort Smith, AR – (FSM)
- Lincoln, NE – (LNK)
- New Bern/Morehead/Beaufort, NC – (EWN)
- Peoria, IL – (PIA)
- Santa Barbara, CA – (SBA)
- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, PA – (AVP)
- Williston, ND – (XWA)
Elite Airways Suspensions
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)
Frontier Airlines Suspensions
- Greenville/Spartanburg, SC – (GSP)
- Mobile, AL – (MOB)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- Portland, ME – (PWM)
- Tyler, TX – (TYR)
JetBlue Airways Suspensions
- Albuquerque, NM – (ABQ)
- Palm Springs, CA – (PSP)
- Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL – (SRQ)
- Worcester, MA – (ORH)
Sun Air Express Suspensions
- Nashville, TN – (BNA)
Sun Country Airlines Suspensions
- Madison, WI – (MSN)
- Philadelphia, PA – (PHL)
- Portland, OR – (PDX)
- Sacramento, CA – (SMF)
- St. Louis, MO – (STL)
