Google has agreed to pay $10 million for a large collection of internal business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines, as the technology giant looks for new material to develop products and train artificial intelligence models.
The proposed purchase covers employee emails, Microsoft Teams messages, spreadsheets, calendars, marketing information and operational data. Spirit will remove personally identifiable information before completing the sale. The dataset will not include customer information or credit card records.
A US bankruptcy judge will consider approving the transaction at a court hearing on Wednesday, August 19. Spirit is selling its remaining assets after shutting down operations in May.
Google sees value in Spirit’s internal data
Google won the bankruptcy auction after competing with AI data company Mercor. It initially offered $5 million. Mercor later increased the bidding and ultimately submitted a $7.5 million rival offer. Google then raised its bid to $10 million.
A Google spokesperson said Spirit’s corporate data “can be helpful in improving our products and AI models.”
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“We are buying the company’s internal data and custom software, but we are not buying their customer or credit card information,” the spokesperson said.
The collection reportedly includes a huge volume of workplace communications and other records showing how a major airline operated internally.
Such corporate datasets have become increasingly valuable to AI developers because they contain examples of real workplace tasks, decisions and communication patterns.
Mercor says corporate records can help train AI
Mercor also wanted the Spirit dataset and argued that internal company records could become important training material for the next generation of AI systems.
“Companies are sitting on decades of records that show how real work gets done, and that data is now some of the most valuable material for training and evaluating AI,” a Mercor spokesperson said.
The company said it works with businesses to license operational data to developers building AI models.
The Spirit auction highlights a wider race among technology companies to secure high-quality data as developers seek sources beyond publicly available internet content.
For Google, Spirit’s records could provide examples involving scheduling, workplace communication, marketing, productivity and complex operational processes.
Spirit sells assets after airline collapse
Spirit stopped flying in May after its financial problems worsened during its second bankruptcy restructuring in less than two years.
The low-cost carrier had struggled with heavy debt, weak finances and sharply higher jet fuel prices. Spirit’s lawyers said fuel costs increased by roughly $100 million during March and April alone, draining liquidity and undermining its restructuring plans.
US Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane approved a rapid wind-down of the airline in May, allowing Spirit to sell aircraft, engines, airport assets and other property to raise money for creditors.
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Spirit employed about 17,000 people and carried around 50,000 passengers on its final day of operations. Its fleet included 114 Airbus A320-family aircraft.
The $10 million Google transaction shows that Spirit’s digital records have also become a valuable bankruptcy asset.
If the court approves the sale, Google will receive the de-identified business dataset for use in product development and AI training.
