Fact Check: Did Spirit Airlines duct tape their plane’s wing? Viral claim debunked

A video of an airline worker putting tape on a Spirit Airlines plane has gone viral, and social media users are confused about the duct tape. TikToker Myhoneysmack posted a video showing the airline worker seeming to do quick maintenance on the aircraft's left wing at Nashville International Airport. From inside the plane, passengers observed the work being done.

In the video, the TikToker said:

"The reason why I don’t fly with Spirit. I don’t care if it is aviation airplane tape or nothing, the fact that you have to tape the plane together and then you doing it while people are on the flight like we cannot see you."

Spirit Airlines is a budget airline, and the video's creator expressed her disdain for them. She claimed that the tape had influenced her decision to forego using Spirit Airlines. "Now Southwest I'll do, but Spirit no sir," she continued.

The quick patch on the plane was being fixed as the woman expressed her concern and shock over what she was viewing.

"After a while, they’re going to need a fresh new roll of tape, their tapes gonna lose all its stickiness, you flying all around the world and you got tape holding it together. Don’t even worry about it, I won’t be booking with you."

In reality, speed tape is an aluminum-based adhesive tape used to make quick repairs on aircraft and race cars. It is used by many industrial airlines, including the ones on top, and is effective for last-minute maintenance.

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Spirit Airlines used Speed Tape for quick maintenance on their aircraft

The speed tape can aid an airplane wing traveling very fast through the air. Hence, it has speed in its name. It can also withstand severe temperatures and has an additional cloth layer that is covered by aluminum foil and a super-strong silicone adhesive. These layers make it thicker and more effective than duct tape.

Monroe Aerospace, an aircraft supply retailer, describes speed tape as "a sort of heavy-duty, self-adhesive tape." It is usually intended for quick fixes that require higher-speed resistance, such as airplanes.

Duct tape and speed tape are often mistaken for each other due to their similar appearance, according to the retailer.

Stratos Jet Charters statistics show that 33% to 40% "of all people experience some form of anxiety when it comes to flying." Hence, when onlookers and passengers witnessed the ground staff putting speed tape on the aircraft they were going to fly in, they didn't feel as safe.

As a result, people took to Twitter to discuss the taping incident involving Spirit Airlines, the budget airline. Several users made fun of the situation and turned the topic into a meme fest.

Other users tried to explain how it was a common occurrence and that the speed tape was, in fact, for the safety of the journey.

The video, which has received over 1.6 million views, has sparked a flurry of responses from Twitter and TikTok users.