Google to Buy Spirit Airlines Business Data for $10 Million to Train AI

Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has agreed to acquire internal business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines for $10 million, with plans to use the information for product development and artificial intelligence training.

The proposed deal gives Google access to a broad collection of Spirit Airlines’ corporate data, including employee emails, Microsoft Teams messages, spreadsheets and calendars. The dataset also covers marketing, productivity and operational information generated during the airline’s business activities.

Google intends to use the Spirit Airlines data to support the development of its products and train its AI models, highlighting the growing demand among technology companies for large, real-world datasets that can improve artificial intelligence systems.

Privacy protections are expected to be a key part of the transaction. Before the sale is completed, Spirit’s business data will be de-identified to remove personally identifiable information. The dataset will also exclude customer information, reducing the risk of passenger data being transferred as part of the acquisition.

The $10 million Google-Spirit Airlines data deal still requires court approval. A U.S. bankruptcy judge is scheduled to consider the proposed sale during a Wednesday hearing as Spirit continues to liquidate its remaining assets.

Google was not the only company interested in acquiring the airline’s data. AI data company Mercor submitted a competing bid of $7.5 million, underscoring the increasing commercial value of corporate datasets as technology companies seek new sources of information for AI training and development.

Spirit Airlines is selling its assets as part of bankruptcy proceedings after shutting down its business in May. The airline’s collapse followed financial pressure from high debt levels and elevated fuel costs.

The proposed transaction also demonstrates how business data can emerge as a valuable asset during bankruptcy proceedings. If approved, Google’s acquisition could provide another example of companies purchasing large collections of corporate communications and operational information specifically to develop and train AI technologies.