Spirit Airlines Leaves ACY: What’s Next?

Atlantic City International Airport lost its busiest airline this weekend with the expected closure of Spirit Airlines.

The End of an Era: Spirit’s Legacy at ACY

For years, Spirit was the only airline that called ACY home, and saved many South Jersey residents a trip to Philadelphia on their way to Florida. I used Spirit at least 20 times to see the Phillies play in Clearwater for Spring Training.

My family had a place in Deerfield Beach, FL, so I flew from ACY to Fort Lauderdale plenty of times, especially during COVID-19.

Many people likely used ACY to travel to Orlando for a Disney trip, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, or Myrtle Beach.

Spirit flew to other destinations through its tenure in Atlantic City, including Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Cancun and more.

Can Breeze and Allegiant Fill the Void?

Earlier this week, one of the new carriers, Breeze Airways, announced it's picking up four routes Spirit previously served from ACY.

Orlando International Airport (MCO)
Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers, Florida
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)

Allegiant Airlines, which I flew with from ACY to St. Petersburg for the first time this March when I went to see the Phillies at Spring Training, offers a competing airport for Tampa, giving ACY travelers a great option to reach the Clearwater area. The one issue is that the flight only flies on Mondays and Fridays, while the Spirit flight to Tampa was a daily flight.

Hopefully, that's one thing Allegiant can do with that St. Petersburg flight.

Potential New Carriers: Could JetBlue or Frontier Land at ACY?

Moving forward, maybe the combination of Breeze and Allegiant can fill all the gaps left behind by Spirit's closure. Maybe another carrier will come to ACY, like JetBlue, Avelo or Frontier.

JetBlue has already added 11 new flights since Spirit closed, Frontier flies out of Trenton, while Avelo flies from New Castle, DE. Maybe one of these carriers can add some flights from ACY, or maybe Breeze and Allegiant can continue to add service.

ACY is an awesome airport that offers very convenient service for South Jersey travelers. It's well-run, and it has plenty of amenities like The Beach House Bar & Grill, The Great American Bagel Bakery, and Dunkin. All it needs now is more reasons to come and visit them.

More Than Just Flights: New Dining at ACY

Another new reason could be coming soon: Miam Café & Boutique appears to be opening at ACY, expanding from Florida to open its first airport location inside the Atlantic City terminal.

On the ACY website, Miam is described as:

MIAM boasts a simple menu offered in a place where people can gather and enjoy fresh food and drinks all day long, in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether you crave a wholesome breakfast, a healthy lunch or a freshly prepared afternoon snack, MIAM brings made-to-order dishes to ACY passengers from the best organic and locally sourced ingredients available.

I was in the ACY airport in March and saw the area where Miam looks like it will be opening down by gates seven, eight, and nine.

Mike Gill / TSM

Which airline do you hope to see at ACY next? What other routes would you like to see added from ACY?