NEW YORK (VINnews) – Just one week after budget carrier Spirit Airlines ceased operations, a grassroots effort launched by a TikTok creator has drawn more than $335 million in non-binding pledges from people hoping to revive the airline through public ownership.

Voice actor and social media personality Hunter Peterson sparked the movement with a viral video posted shortly after Spirit’s shutdown on May 2. In the clip, which has garnered millions of views, Peterson proposed that everyday travelers pool resources to purchase and relaunch the carrier.

“This is a genius idea: We nationalize Spirit Airlines, owned by the people,” Peterson said in the video. “Airlines gone. We make a new airline.”

Peterson, who did not initially expect the idea to gain traction, quickly launched a website — letsbuyspiritair.com — to collect pledges. As of Saturday, more than 130,000 people had participated, with an average pledge around $900 to $1,000. No money has been collected yet; the pledges serve only to demonstrate public interest.

The campaign envisions a cooperative model similar to the fan-owned Green Bay Packers, where shareholders would have equal voting rights regardless of contribution size. Peterson has emphasized that the effort began as a joke but has “rapidly [gone] out of control in the best possible way.”

Spirit Airlines, a pioneer of ultra-low-cost flights, filed for bankruptcy protection multiple times in recent years before announcing an orderly wind-down of operations earlier this month. The shutdown left thousands of passengers scrambling for rebooking options and employees out of work.

Aviation industry observers have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of a crowdfunding takeover, citing regulatory hurdles, enormous capital requirements for restarting operations and the complexities of acquiring assets from bankruptcy proceedings. Peterson has acknowledged the challenges while encouraging continued momentum to show serious public demand.

The campaign maintains official sites at letsbuyspirit.com and letsbuyspiritair.com and has active presences on TikTok and Instagram under the “Spirit Airlines 2.0” banner.

No formal bids or negotiations with Spirit’s creditors have been confirmed as of Sunday