Boeing has completed its $4.7bn acquisition of aerospace components manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems, the company said today (December 8).
The closing of the deal marks the struggling parts supplier's return to the Boeing fold after it was sold off by the OEM in 2005.
"This is a pivotal moment in Boeing's history and future success as we begin to integrate Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations and establish Spirit Defense," said Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg.
Spirit AeroSystems is a key supplier of fuselages for Boeing's popular 737 aircraft. The company also supplies major structures for the 767, 777, and 787 Dreamliner.
The deal was first proposed in mid-2024, with Boeing proposing to purchase Spirit in an all-paper deal with an equity value of around $4.7bn, or $37.25 per share. The overall deal is valued at $8.3bn.
The reacquisition announcement came amid Boeing's high-profile struggle with quality and safety concerns. Bringing Spirit back into Boeing is expected to support the stability of its supply chain and quality control.
Portions of Spirit AeroSystems' operations in Belfast have been acquired by Boeing, and the Belfast site will operate as an independent subsidiary branded as Short Brothers, a Boeing Company.
Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations in Wichita, Kansas; Dallas, Texas; and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as well as Spirit's Aerospace Innovation Center in Prestwick, Scotland, will begin to integrate into Boeing.
Across the five sites, Boeing is adding around 15,000 members of staff to the company.
“As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defence capabilities for our customers and the industry," said Ortberg.
Since then, the deal was approved by several regulators. Last week, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered Boeing to sell certain Spirit assets to resolve antitrust concerns in order to close the deal.
However, these divestments were already largely agreed upon, with Airbus signing a definitive agreement with Spirit in April 2025 to take over assets in North Carolina, France, Morocco, Wichita, Scotland, and Belfast. These facilities produce components for its A350, A321, and A220 programmes.
Airbus confirmed today it had completed acquisition of these sites.
As part of the deal, Airbus received $439 million as a result of having to acquire the loss-making businesses. The European OEM will receive an undisclosed amount to settle liabilities under the purchase agreement provisions.
“We are proud to welcome over 4,000 new colleagues, with whom we will embark on a new chapter in our industrial operations by taking on activities of critical importance to our commercial aircraft programmes,” said Airbus EVP operations for the commercial aircraft business Florent Massou.
Boeing will divest Spirit's aerostructures business in Subang, Malaysia, which currently supplies both Boeing and Airbus. The business will be sold to Composites Technology Research Malaysia, as announced in August this year.
Spirit will continue to act as an independent supplier to the defence industry, which was part of the FTC's requirements.