We’ll take it: a TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse
Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations over a weekend, canceling all flights and laying off 17,000 employees, prompting widespread public reaction. TikToker Hunter Peterson proposed a satirical campaign called 'Spirit 2.0: Owned by the People,' suggesting 20% of American adults collectively buy the airline. Though 36,000 people pledged nearly $23 million via a makeshift website, the pledges are non-binding and the actual cost of acquiring an airline remains in the billions.
- ▪Spirit Airlines shut down operations overnight on a Saturday, canceling all flights and laying off 17,000 employees.
- ▪Hunter Peterson, a voice actor and TikToker, launched a satirical campaign to buy Spirit Airlines with public pledges.
- ▪Over 36,000 people pledged nearly $23 million to the campaign, crashing Peterson's website.
- ▪The pledges are non-binding and no actual funds have been transferred.
- ▪Peterson acknowledged the campaign is not feasible without expert help and called for aviation lawyers and PR professionals.
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In Brief Posted: 7:02 PM PDT · May 3, 2026 Image Credits:Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg / Getty Images Connie Loizos We’ll take it: a TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse When Spirit Airlines shut down overnight Saturday — canceling all flights, letting go of 17,000 employees, and telling ticketholders to just not come to the airport — people were flabbergasted but also bereft. For all its indignities, Spirit was cheap. Then one of them had an idea. Hunter Peterson, a voice actor with frequent flyer grievances, posted a TikTok asking: what if 20% of American adults chipped in the price of a Spirit fare and just . . .
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