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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.

Even if fuel shortages can be avoided, airfare prices overseas and in the United States are expected to continue to climb as the war in Iran disrupts supplies.

The study specifically analyzed the evacuation of an Airbus A320 during an engine fire. It reveals that it could take up to 218.5 seconds if passengers over 60 years old were in their usual positions. This time could be reduced to 141 seconds with more careful seating arrangement .

Such a deal would certainly stir up antitrust scrutiny; combined, they would make up the largest airline in the world.

Once the Strait of Hormuz opens, it could take months to see significant relief at the pump.

As some large hub airports face growing congestion, the nation’s many smaller airports could play a role in relieving traffic.