It happens every year. They come lugging loads of beach gear. They leave with sunburns and sand in their suitcases.

Millions of people visit Alabama's beaches in Baldwin County every year, but for the last year, tens of thousands of them ditched their cars for a more passive method of travel.

Gulf Shores International Airport launched its first flights with Allegiant Airlines last Memorial Day with non-stop routes to six cities in the South and Midwest. Now, with summer seasonal routes running, the Alabama Gulf Coast's first commercial airline service serves 13 destinations with a total of 30 flights a week.

The airport was averaging about 67% capacity across all destinations in its first year, with the best performing routes being Kansas City, Missouri (MCI), and St. Louis/Belleville, Illinois (BLV). It almost doubled passenger estimates, recording more than 80,000 fliers in 2025 and 104,000 from Memorial Day last year to this year. The year's total original estimate was met over the summer.

“We never really contemplated in any way being that successful,” Airport Director Jesse Fosnaugh said. “… We’ve called it kind of catastrophic success.”

It’s not just returning regulars choosing a different mode of travel that has accounted for such a declaration. According to a passenger survey conducted at the airport, previously reported on by GCM, 43% of people taking flights into Gulf Shores had never visited Alabama's beaches before.

Fosnaugh said he was surprised at how well the Des Moines route has performed.

“It’s only 20 miles outside St. Louis, but it’s still not the city, and they do a good job of taking people on vacation,” he said. “Our snowbird routes are performing strong still into the summer.”

Such overnight success and demand created unanticipated challenges like the current parking lot expansion. Fosnaugh said they are trying to construct 240 new spaces by July 4 “as fast as we possibly can."

The summer rush will bring people from Springfield, Missouri (SGF); Louisville, Kentucky (SDF); Huntsville, Alabama (HSV); Omaha, Nebraska (OMA); and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (OKC). According to previous GCM reporting, they run twice a week into mid-August.

They join routes running to and from Appleton/Green Bay, Wisconsin (ATW); Belleville, Illinois/St. Louis, Missouri (BLV); Cincinnati, Ohio (CVG); Des Moines, Iowa (DSM); Nashville, Tennessee (BNA); Fayetteville, Arkansas (XNA); Knoxville, Tennessee (TYS); and Kansas City, Missouri (MCI).

To match growing demand, the airport is anticipating a $15 million terminal expansion to include new gate areas, expanded baggage claim and increased curb frontage for vehicle access, GCM previously reported. Groundbreaking was tentatively planned for this summer, with completion targeted for May 2027.

“We’re trying to be as forward looking as we can but also be responsible. We don’t want to over-build the facility and look at it and say we can’t fill it,” Fosnaugh said.

Because Allegiant, he said, is not immune to industry hardships like fuel costs. They are still anticipating the long-term impacts of the Spirit Airlines closure.

“We know that we’re viewed favorably in the network, so I feel very positive about the future,” he said.

So far, over 500 jobs have bene directly created by the airport’s existence. The expansion so far has driven 80.

While the local network is preparing for expansion, Allegiant marked a massive milestone earlier this month when it completed its acquisition of Sun Country Airlines, another carrier that promotes itself as an affordable leisure travel airline.

"With a combined fleet of 195 aircraft serving nearly 175 cities, we are expanding access to affordable, reliable and convenient travel for the communities that have long been the foundation of our business, while offering customers broader reach and more destinations," Allegiant CEO Gregory C. Anderson said in a statement. "By bringing together two strong airlines with similar business models, we are creating a more differentiated and durable airline – one well positioned to deliver lasting value for our customers, team members, and shareholders."

Customers can continue to book travel through existing channels. There are no changes to current reservations, flight schedules or travel paths, according to the airline. Both with continue to operate as separate carriers in the "near term," maintaining their respective brands, as will both company's rewards programs.

Together, Allegiant and Sun Country will serve approximately 22 million annual customers across nearly 175 cities, with more than 650 routes and a combined fleet of 195 aircraft.