Who objected to the Spirit data sale, and why

The flight attendants' union (AFA-CWA) wanted its members' information left out, or at least tight rules on how it would be split off, used, profiled and shared, because the sale offered no employee-confidentiality filter. PAFCA, representing dispatchers, and IAM with TWU Local 570, representing mechanics and ground crews, backed that request.

ALPA, the pilots' union, said safety-program records could reveal which pilot was involved. According to Skift, it warned that this risk might make pilots less willing to file confidential FAA safety reports.

Springshot, which sold software to Spirit, pointed to a SaaS contract giving it ownership of data its product generates, while stressing it did not want the sale blocked. International Aero Engines said its own confidential material, which Spirit held under NDA, is outside the estate.

Both arguments apply to any company: supplier contracts and NDAs can limit what you are allowed to license. See vendor data ownership claims.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Steven Horsford led 121 members of Congress in writing to the Spirit and Google CEOs. EPIC (the Electronic Privacy Information Center) submitted an amicus brief. The approval hearing has been rescheduled more than once.

Google pulled the timecard set plus four customer-facing sets without lowering its bid. The ombudsman went on to recommend approval, while noting her review left out employee and third-party risk, the very issue most objectors raised.