United Airlines is shedding 38 percent of its seating capacity this fall compared to last, and Spirit 28 percent. Even Southwest Airlines, the low fare carrier that has remained profitable in spite of the industry's turbulence, is reducing its capacity by 17 percent beginning in October.

Excluding fall cuts planned by Northwest Airlines, which operates out of the McNamara Terminal, the airport will see a 5 percent reduction in capacity beginning in October.

'The cuts we're seeing now may not be the last,' said Bill Swelbar, an industry analyst at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. 'They want to save every dollar they can when so much money is going toward fuel.'

While the empty gates mean less expense for the airlines, for the Wayne County Airport Authority, which governs Metro Airport, they mean less gate rent and less traffic for concessionaires at the North Terminal. For now, the Airport Authority says it isn't worried about the empty spots.

'We've got room to grow,' spokesman Scott Wintner said. 'Schedule changes like this go in cycles, and we're ready for new carriers as they come in.'

Airlines downsizing

Most of the airlines moving to the North Terminal from the Smith and Berry terminals in September will have fewer gates:

• Spirit Airlines is cutting its presence from six gates at the Smith to two at the new terminal. It also will use one shared gate for its international flights.

• US Airways will lease three gates at the North Terminal, down from five at Smith.

• American Airlines is shrinking from six gates to two.

• Southwest Airlines is shedding one gate, from four to three.

• United Airlines, which also handles gate and ground operations for Air Canada in Detroit, is going from three gates to two.

• AirTran Airways is dropping from two gates to one.

The Airport Authority will operate three of its own gates at North Terminal. They will be leased to low-cost operations such as Champion Air and USA 3000 that now use the Berry Terminal. Two of these gates will be used by Royal Jordanian and Lufthansa airlines until next year, when two gates equipped to handle larger wide-body aircraft open, bringing the total number of gates at the North Terminal to 26..

Airport ready for growth

Since work began on the North Terminal project in 2004, oil prices and, in turn, jet fuel costs, have steadily increased, and spikes hit records this summer. The high fuel prices have shut down a handful of marginally profitable carriers; others have been forced to downsize or slow growth.

In the past few weeks, oil prices have retreated some $25 a barrel, but it will take a while before lower oil prices bring significant relief for airlines, industry experts say.

Should oil prices keep falling or demand for air travel increase, it will be to Metro Airport's advantage to have gates ready for quick leasing, one travel expert said.

'Airlines are always going in and out in waves,' Terry Trippler, founder of TripplerTravel.com, said of the cuts affecting the North Terminal. 'Someone else will come in to fill the void. We've seen this over and over in many different airports.'