Gulf Shores International Airport opened a year ago last week to high hopes and a bit of caution, since Alabama-bound vacationers had long believed there was only one way to reach the beach: by car.

According to a notice signed by Spirit Airlines’ vice president of human resources, the sudden shutdown impacted nearly 1,000 workers at Harry Reid International Airport, including about 60 captains, 90 first officers, and more than 700 flight attendants.

Experts say Frontier Airlines is likely to capture a significant share of Spirit Airlines’ business at Detroit Metro and across national routes, though they expect demand to be spread among the remaining low-cost carriers. Frontier offers service between Detroit and Spirit's top three markets, all of them popular among leisure travelers: Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Las Vegas.

The partial government shutdown that left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unfunded for 75 days ended on Thursday. But the toll it has taken on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may still be felt for months to come, experts have warned.

Aviation experts weigh in on why the early bird doesn't just get the worm — it gets the on-time departure.

More than 1,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have quit since the ongoing shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security began in February, with emergency funding that has kept workers paid about to run dry ahead of the World Cup and summer travel season.

Spirit Airlines is Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s No. 2 carrier, and that’s why thousands of travelers like Jeanne and Alan Koval are waiting to learn whether the budget airline founded decades ago in Macomb County will be rescued by a proposed federal bailout or collapse into liquidation.

U.S. airlines have raised fares on some routes by anywhere from 10 to 50 percent, according to Dan Bubb, a professor in residence at the University of Nevada Las Vegas and commercial aviation expert. Airlines that locked in ticket prices before the crisis hit cannot pass fuel costs directly to those passengers, so many have turned to other revenue streams. Baggage fees and seat selection charges have risen at multiple carriers in recent weeks as a way of recovering margin.