Spirit Airlines has come to an abrupt halt after 34 years in operation, following financial strain linked to rising fuel costs and complications in its restructuring process. The shutdown led to the cancellation of all flights and the layoff of around 17,000 employees, while passengers were advised not to travel to airports as services were suspended nationwide.

But what happened next took an unusual turn.

The airline’s abrupt closure sent shockwaves through the US travel system. With operations halted overnight, passengers holding tickets were left with no options, while airport counters saw confusion as services were suspended across the board.

For a carrier that built its reputation on low-cost travel, the sudden end marked a dramatic exit from the aviation scene.

A viral idea: “What if the public bought it?”

Just hours after the shutdown, social media users began floating a surprising idea: instead of letting Spirit disappear, what if people came together to buy it?

The movement, called “Let’s Buy Spirit,” was led by voice actor Hunter Peterson and quickly gained traction online. His argument was simple and a little ambitious. He pointed out that there are over 250 million adults in the US. If even 20% contributed around $30–$40 each, roughly the price of a Spirit ticket, it could theoretically raise billions.

Website crash and growing attention

The campaign launched a website, http://letsbuyspirit.com, which reportedly crashed multiple times due to heavy traffic. According to reports, an unverified total of $88,071,428 has already been pledged, with more than 124,750 people expressing interest in becoming founding supporters.

The movement also expanded to social media, with the Instagram account @spiritair2.0 crossing 184,000 followers.

For now, no money is actually being collected. The pledges remain non-binding, and the platform has temporarily paused contributions.

“It started as a joke,” says creator

Peterson himself has admitted that the idea was never meant to get this big. In follow-up comments, he said he is now trying to bring in aviation lawyers, PR professionals and other experts to understand what would actually be needed.

“I know what I don’t know,” he said. “I’m learning this in real time. This started as a joke, and it went out of control.”

He also acknowledged that restarting an airline is a massive financial challenge that would run into billions.

Inspired by a community-owned football team

Interestingly, the idea is inspired by the Green Bay Packers, the only community-owned franchise in the NFL. The concept behind “Let’s Buy Spirit” is similar, where no single person would control the airline.

Instead, decisions on routes, leadership and strategy would be made collectively by members, according to the campaign’s vision.

For now, it remains an unusual online movement growing out of an already unexpected airline shutdown.