The airport authority would also not provide a timeline for when Spirit’s former gates could be permanently reassigned, citing ongoing bankruptcy proceedings.

“WCAA utilizes gates as needed and will seek to lease those gates once the bankruptcy process concludes,” Strickland said.

How the airport is adjusting financially

Despite the loss of a carrier, the airport authority said it does not expect a financial loss from Spirit’s departure. The airline paid the airport authority about $26 million last year through terminal rents, landing fees and other charges, according to the airport authority.

“We routinely adjust to changing operational and industry conditions to meet revenue requirements and maintain financial stability,” Stickland said. “During our mid-year adjustment process, we will reduce expenses wherever possible and increase rates and charges paid by the airlines.”

Ozyurek said airport charges are tied to passenger and flight activity, including operations, terminal use and passenger volumes. He said passenger facility charges are based on the number of boarding and deplaning passengers, which means those fees continue as passengers shift to other airlines serving Detroit Metro.

Delta Air Lines is expected to absorb much of Spirit’s former route demand in Detroit, while Frontier Airlines expands service on overlapping markets due to its existing operations at the airport, said Gerald Cook, an adjunct professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide Campus. The adjustment is likely to come through changes such as frequency increases and schedule shifts.

“I don’t think you’re going to see any major disruption or major change in Detroit,” he said.

Southwest Airlines said its current schedule is already optimized through the end of the year across its network based on demand, aircraft availability, staffing and operational reliability. That limits its ability to quickly add new flights, airline officials said.

The carrier said any expansion in one market would require reductions elsewhere, though it will continue monitoring Detroit Metro Airport for potential growth.

Avelo Airlines spokesperson Courtney Goff said the airline doesn’t have immediate plans to expand at Detroit Metro, but if they see an opportunity to expand, they’ll look into those options.

“We’re always communicating with our airport partners on new opportunities,” Goff wrote in an email. “We just extended our schedule through the winter holiday season with seasonal returns for our DTW routes.”

Avelo has many of its existing routes already overlapping with Spirit’s former network but operating from more convenient secondary airports, Goff wrote. Instead of adding former Spirit routes, Avelo said it plans to increase flight frequency on current routes where demand supports it.

Travelers interviewed recently at Detroit Metro say they’re keeping an open mind about alternatives to Spirit.

Gabby Schriver, a 33-year-old from Oxford, was heading to Dallas May 22 with her sister and infant son for her childhood best friend’s wedding. She tried out Frontier Airlines for the first time as the ticket came as part of a bundled travel package booked through a third party.

Schriver said she likely would have avoided flying Spirit Airlines had it still been operating.

“I guess I’m not surprised,” Schriver said of Spirit’s shutdown. “A lot of people have always complained about Spirit. I’ve not had the best experiences.”

She said she remains open to trying Frontier, though.

“Maybe Frontier will be great,” she said. “I’ve just never flown it.”

Schriver said she frequently flies Allegiant Airlines out of Flint Bishop Airport because of the convenience of smaller airports.

“We’ve always had a great experience with them,” she said.

If cost were not a factor, Schriver said Delta would remain her top choice.

“I just feel safe when I fly Delta for some reason, and the staff has always been nice,” she said.

Jay Granberry was traveling to Dallas to visit family recently via Frontier. The Saginaw native, now living in Metro Detroit, said budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier have been options for him in the past.

“If I couldn’t get Southwest or American … I would get Frontier or Spirit,” he said. “I would get Spirit, because it’s cheaper, but now that Spirit isn’t in the conversation anymore, Frontier is definitely probably going to be one of the more frequented ones.”

Granberry said he was surprised Spirit Airlines closed because the carrier had been around for so long.

“Spirit was not terrible, contrary to popular belief, in my opinion,” he said.

He said he would like to see United or American expand at Detroit Metro Airport, favoring each for “price and experience.”

“You get the middle, a medium of both,” he said. “You’re not sacrificing one for the other like a lot of times.”

Despite issues with Frontier in the past regarding longer layovers, Granberry said he is giving the airline another try as a low-cost replacement for Spirit.

“Let’s just hope Frontier lives up to them as far as their reputation,” he said.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com