When Spirit Airlines abruptly collapsed over the weekend, leaving 17,000 employees without work and 3.4 million passengers stranded, one voice actor had an audacious plan: what if ordinary people banded together to buy the airline?

Hunter Peterson launched a TikTok asking if 20% of American adults could each pledge the price of a Spirit ticket — around $56 — and collectively take over the struggling carrier. Within hours, his website had gathered pledges from 36,000 'founding patrons,' raising almost £1.7 million in non-binding support.

The idea is both charmingly naive and profoundly hopeful. Peterson knows the challenges: actually buying an airline isn't as simple as buying a few shares on the stock market; it involves complex legal and regulatory hurdles, not to mention the astronomical cost of reviving such a large operation.

Despite this, he's committed to making his vision a reality, calling out aviation lawyers and PR experts to help realise “Spirit 2.0: Owned by the People,” even if it’s just a pipe dream for now.

This story is a perfect blend of grassroots optimism and the stark realities of running a major enterprise. Whether or not it succeeds, Peterson's venture proves that in times of crisis, people can still come together with dreams larger than themselves.