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Spirit Airlines, Inc.

An ultra-low-cost carrier known for rock-bottom fares and its bright yellow planes (nicknamed "banana planes"), Spirit Airlines flew vacationers to dozens of destinations across the Americas. It began as a Michigan trucking company before founder Ned Homfeld launched Charter One Airlines in 1983, flying gambling-themed charters to Atlantic City, Las Vegas, and the Bahamas, and renamed it Spirit Airlines in 1992 when it added jet service. It famously skipped big ad budgets, letting its yellow planes double as flying billboards.