In a bold, trailblazing move, Hashim Walters, a 29-year-old entrepreneur from New Orleans, has launched The Latimer Group, a consortium dedicated to acquiring Spirit Airlines. His mission? To transform it into America’s first Black‑owned commercial airline.
Walters is rallying influential Black business leaders from finance, aviation, and community sectors to join this effort. His vision goes far beyond ownership. He wants to reshape air travel with a model grounded in economic empowerment, inclusion, and community accountability.
Spirit Airlines, which emerged from bankruptcy in March 2025 after restructuring some $795 million in debt into equity and securing a new $350 million investment, is now seen as ripe for acquisition. With its ultra‑low‑cost carrier model and recent turbulence, Spirit presents an opportunity for a turnaround that marries affordability with purposeful stewardship.
Owning a major airline isn’t cheap. Estimates suggest the deal would require billions of dollars in financing, expected to come from private equity, institutional investors, and potentially a community-backed public funding initiative. Walters sees this as more than a transaction, it’s a statement.
Representation still matters. A Black-owned commercial carrier in America would symbolise a seismic shift in who controls key industries, challenging long-standing barriers and offering pathways for Black pilots, engineers, crew, and leadership. Walters frames the mission as:
“It’s now time for us to own companies and show other companies how to be morally sound and contribute to everyone in American society.”
If successful, this acquisition would mark a milestone, not just for aviation, but for Black entrepreneurship and representation at scale. Even as Spirit charts its own recovery post-restructuring, Walters’ vision is already making waves, capturing public imagination and setting a new benchmark for purpose-led business in America.
