Overview

As a major, multi-billion dollar airline, Spirit’s Operation Control Center depends on secure, automated, and real-time data exchanges with external partners, customers, and applications to support critical operations. This includes everything from flight booking, ticketing, baggage handling, self-service kiosks, pilot communications, and fleet management. Poor or inconsistent management of these files could have a significant impact on travelers–leading to frustrating vacation experiences, missed business meetings, hectic flight connections, and more.

With their previous data exchange solution frequently facing connectivity issues, Spirit experienced costly downtime that also posed significant risks to compliance, operational continuity, and overall scalability.

To ensure flights stayed on time, remained fully staffed, and well-maintained to meet daily demand, Spirit required a turnkey method to transfer data from external partners to their internal network–one that was reliable and could be up 24/7, 365 days a year.

Challenge

When Spirit’s small-but-scrappy IT team encountered significant challenges in ensuring reliable cloud-based data transfers between external partners and their internal network, they needed:

• A cloud-based solution that they could rely on to be always up and always up-to-date, without having to maintain the software themselves.
• A secure & compliant platform that protected sensitive passenger, financial, and operational data.
• A collaborative, but protected, solution that enabled outside partners to access the data they needed while safeguarding Spirit’s critical internal information.
• Visibility into how much data they were sending and receiving.
• A scalable, high-volume, enterprise-grade service that could handle thousands of file transfers for an environment with 24/7 uptime. 

With the right solution in place, Spirit could streamline data sharing with external partners without compromising security, ensuring seamless collaboration across teams, in order to keep vital operations running without disruption and improve the overall travel experience. 

Spirit selected Files.com as their primary SFTP solution to facilitate external collaboration by providing quick access to real-time data and relevant workflows—without risking full exposure to the entirety of Spirit’s internal private network.

By partnering with Files.com, Spirit got more than just a reliable external cloud sharing solution that kept them in flight–but award-winning support that got Spirit’s team onboarded and showed them what processes to streamline and where they could save money…all in just five business days.

How Files.com Quickly Onboarded Spirit and Went the Extra Mile, Helping Them Save $$$ Annually

After experiencing persistent connectivity and reliability issues with their on-premise solution–along with growing concerns over compliance risks and the security of sensitive data–Spirit knew they needed a modern, dependable, and enterprise-level alternative.

Time was of the essence, and they couldn’t afford further downtime when it came to finding a solution that wouldn’t just work seamlessly–but improve operational efficiency.

According to Senior System Engineer Mark Thompson, the transition to Files.com was both smooth and impactful.

Within a week, Files.com successfully onboarded Spirit’s entire Operation Control Center, ensuring that crucial operational files could be shared seamlessly across teams and different networks. With enhanced reliability, security, and ease of use, Spirit was able to focus on what matters most–keeping flights on time and passengers moving.

Once they got started, our Customer Success team helped their IT team by transforming their auditing process through Files.com’s CLI App to streamline data access and analysis capabilities. The app allowed the team to run direct system queries that extracted logs and activity metrics in real time.

By tailoring commands to filter and aggregate user data, Spirit quickly identified which accounts were actively engaged and which had become dormant.

Learn more about Files.com’s CLI App, here.

This immediate insight reduced the need for labor-intensive manual audits, cutting down on both administrative overhead and operational costs.

Beyond just auditing user activity, Spirit also benefited from the in-application file activity notifications and automated scripts with the CLI application to create monitoring systems that provides ongoing and real-time alerts, flagging any unusual spikes or anomalies in data transfers.

This proactive approach ensured that potential data misuse or inefficient storage practices were addressed before they could incur significant costs.

Additionally, by quickly and clearly being able to analyze historical trends, Spirit optimized its’ resource allocation–preventing over-provisioning of cloud storage and streamlining their data management practices.

This dual approach of rapid data access combined with continuous monitoring ultimately helped the company reallocate resources to more strategic initiatives, leading to substantial savings in the long run.

Results

By adopting a secure and collaborative solution, Spirit streamlined the way they share critical data with external partners while protecting what matters most — their internal operations. This approach not only reduced manual work and potential risks but also ensured smoother, more reliable flight operations for customers — helping Spirit deliver on its promise of affordable, on-time service.

What began as a search for a reliable file transfer solution quickly became a catalyst for broader operational improvements. With Files.com, Spirit gained more than just a platform — they gained a partner that helped them optimize user licenses, automate auditing processes, and implement real-time monitoring to proactively address issues before they impact operations. These efficiencies allowed Spirit’s IT team to focus on higher-value initiatives, driving both cost savings and better service outcomes.

Beyond solving a technical challenge, Spirit set a new standard for how airlines can balance efficiency and security in a fast-paced, high-demand industry. With this strong foundation in place, Spirit is now equipped to scale, adapt, and continue delivering a better experience for both travelers and partners alike. And with Files.com as a trusted partner, Spirit can confidently manage growing demands, knowing their data flows are secure, reliable, and built to support future growth.