How Tiny Silver Airways Plans to Win in Cuba and Beyond

When the U.S. Department of Transportation announced recently which airlines could fly the first scheduled flights to Cuba in more than 50 years, most of carriers selected were familiar to travelers, including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. But the biggest winner was a carrier most Americans don't know - Florida-based Silver Airways. It won the rights to serve nine destinations from Fort Lauderdale, including Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo Del Sur, Santa Clara, and Cienfuegos, and it plans to fly to all the cities with 34-seat Saab 340B turboprops. Like other airlines, it is still waiting to learn if it will be able to fly to Havana. Silver, which expects to operate its first Cuba flight on Sept. 1, could be the most unique U.S. airline. In the past, it operated like most other small regional carriers. Instead of selling tickets directly to travelers, it usually flew as United Express, carrying United's passengers from smaller cities to hubs in Cle