Pilots Union Blasts Google Over Spirit Airlines Data Sale

The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, has joined objections to Spirit Airlines' plan to sell its data to Google. The APA filed an objection on Tuesday citing privacy and safety concerns related to the proposed sale.

Spirit Airlines shut down earlier this year, but before it did, Google successfully bid $10 million for its data. Google claims that the data will be used to improve its products and AI models, but the APA is concerned about the potential impact on aviation safety.

The APA argues that more than 700 of its members formerly worked at Spirit Airlines and would be affected by the proposed sale. The union claims that the data includes 'confidential employment and training related information' and threatens to have a chilling effect across all commercial airlines.