Spirit Airlines caused quite a stir when they suddenly shut down, leaving thousands of passengers stranded without flights and employees without jobs. Despite its reputation for being budget-friendly, the airline’s abrupt closure left many feeling shocked and lost. However, out of this chaos emerged a creative solution.
Hunter Peterson, a voice actor and frequent flyer, took to TikTok with a revolutionary idea: what if American adults collectively funded the purchase of Spirit Airlines and turned it into a community-owned venture? Dubbed “Spirit 2.0: Owned by the People,” Peterson quickly set up a website to gauge interest. To his surprise, within hours, 36,000 individuals had pledged nearly $23 million towards the cause, causing his servers to crash.
It’s important to note that these pledges are not actual investments, and the true cost of acquiring and relaunching an airline is significantly higher. Peterson acknowledges this reality and is actively seeking support from professionals in the aviation industry to turn his vision into a reality. Despite the challenges ahead, he remains committed to the idea and is determined to see it through.
