Monitors still promise “more fly,” but no one is boarding Spirit planes parked at Atlantic City International Airport after the airline shut down operations over the weekend, leaving frustrated passengers scrambling to make new travel plans.

“I had to pay an extra $300 something dollars to go to another airline,” said Frances Smart of Miami, Florida.

“We’re flying into Fort Lauderdale, which is going to take us three hours to drive up to Disney World — Orlando. What a mess,” said Maryjean Bohrman and Kenneth Minerva of Lakehurst, New Jersey.

Spirit’s exit is a major blow to Atlantic City International, often seen as a more convenient and less stressful alternative to larger airports in Philadelphia and Newark. Of the roughly 900,000 travelers who passed through ACY last year, about 75% flew on Spirit.

“There’s absolutely a short term effect. There’s employees — unfortunately, some are going to be laid off because the business isn’t here,” said airport director Tim Kroll.

At the end of its more than 30-year run at ACY, Spirit offered routes to about a half-dozen popular vacation destinations.

Other airlines are beginning to fill some of the gaps. Allegiant already operates several routes similar to Spirit’s, and Breeze Airways — set to begin service at ACY Wednesday — announced four new routes following the shutdown. However, those flights are not expected to roll out until July.

“Less supply means more pressure on the existing supply for the demand, and we should indeed see those fares going up,” said Brian Tyrrell of Stockton University.

The disruption is already affecting travelers.

“My husband was supposed to fly home on Spirit this Wednesday. And of course, now he’s driving,” said Aileen Widerman of Brigantine, New Jersey.

Officials say Spirit’s long dominance at ACY may have discouraged other carriers from entering the market. Now, they believe its departure could open the door for a major airline to move in, such as American Airlines, which already offers bus service between Atlantic City International and Philadelphia International Airport.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.