Spirit closes after 34 years, but "Spirit 2.0" is born: the grassroots campaign to put it back in the air

Spirit Airlines, one of the airlines ultra low cost best known in North America, has ceased all operations day before yesterday, last May 2, 2026, after 34 years of operation. Carrier, as we have recounted in these pages, announced the immediate cancellation of all flights and the initiation of a closure procedure sorted, leaving thousands of passengers without immediate alternatives and involving some 17,000 employees. 

The end of the activities comes after Complex years marked by financial restructuring, revitalization attempts, and the search for new capital. Then, in recent months, the situation would be further aggravated by rising operating and fuel costs. 

Rescue attempts were not enough

In previous years, Spirit Airlines had sought multiple avenues to stay in the market: these included operations of merger e acquisition. JetBlue, for example, had attempted to take over Spirit in 2022 with a bid of about $3.8 billion, but the deal did not materialize. According to reconstructions published in recent hours, the company also sought a 500 million federal support of dollars but without reaching a final agreement. 

"Spirit 2.0" is born: customers want to buy the company

A few hours after the closure, social media started a campaign call "Spirit 2.0", promoted by Hunter Peterson, voice actor and content creator: the idea, in short, is to involve former passengers, employees and supporters to attempt to buy the company Before the intervention of private investors. 

The project is presented as a ffootprint of widespread ownership: not a single billionaire owner, but a broad base of supporters ready to contribute financially: on the campaign website, in fact, the message "the people can own it.", that is, "people can own it." 

More than $88 million pledged within hours

According to U.S. media reports, within a single day the initiative recorded over 23 million dollars in pledges by more than 36,000 people: as of today, May 4, the figure has risen to 88 million dollars. Be careful, however: these are not funds already paid into the campaign account.

In practice, so-called non-binding pledges are simple statements by interest: to make it even simpler, those who join indicate. How much would you be willing to invest or contribute in the future, but without making any immediate payment and with no legal obligation to keep the commitment made.

This means that the figure announced represents the potential economic support raised so far, not capital already available to buy or relaunch Spirit Airlines; turning those pledges into concrete resources would require a next step, with actual fundraising and formal agreements with participants. The goal indicated by organizers would be to arrive at $1.7 billion in total commitments, a figure still a far cry from the valuations that have emerged in previous industry negotiations.

The role model is that of the NFL team Green Bay Packers.

The organizers explained that they were inspired by the model of the Green Bay Packers, historical NFL franchise note for a structure diffuse proprietary among hundreds of thousands of shareholders. The idea would be to apply a similar system to U.S. commercial air transportation for the first time. 

If the project were to materialize, it would represent a novel case in an industry traditionally dominated by large industrial groups, institutional investors and financial funds.

Why Spirit's closure matters for the air market

Spirit Airlines had become over the years a symbol of low-cost air transportation in the United States. The company had built its identity on aggressive fares and an ultra low-cost model that often prompted even competitors to reduce prices on the same routes. Its exit from the scene thus reopens the debate on the future of economy flights in the US. The initial success of "Spirit 2.0" shows that a portion of the public still considers important the presence of carriers capable of offering tickets at very low prices.

In conclusion: what happens now

At the moment there is no formal offer or operational plan detailed for the company's return. The campaign remains in the early stages and should face possible obstacles, both financial and industrial, which are very significant.

However, within hours of Spirit Airlines' closure, the project has already brought the issue of air travel affordability and the role of ultra low-cost airlines in the U.S. market back to the center of debate.