As Boeing moves forward with its planned acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, Airbus has announced a parallel agreement to strategically acquire several Spirit assets critical to the company’s aircraft programs.
Under the deal, Airbus will take ownership of the following Spirit AeroSystems sites and production lines:
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Kinston, North Carolina, U.S. (A350 fuselage sections)
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St. Nazaire, France (A350 fuselage sections)
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Casablanca, Morocco (A321 and A220 components)
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Wichita, Kansas, U.S. (A220 pylons production)
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Belfast, Northern Ireland (A220 wings and A220 mid-fuselage production, unless Spirit finds a third-party buyer for the mid-fuselage activities)
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Prestwick, Scotland (wing components for A320 and A350 programs)
Separately, Spirit AeroSystems plans to divest its Subang, Malaysia site to an independent third party.
As part of the agreement, Airbus will extend $200 million in non-interest-bearing credit lines to Spirit AeroSystems and will receive a cash payment of $439 million from Spirit.
The Airbus transaction runs concurrently with Boeing’s broader acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, finalized in July 2024 after months of negotiations. Boeing will acquire Spirit in an all-stock deal valued at $4.7 billion, with the total transaction value, including assumed debt, reaching approximately $8.3 billion. Boeing plans to integrate most of Spirit’s commercial, defense, and aftermarket operations, ensuring continuity across key programs, including contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Spirit AeroSystems, originally spun off from Boeing in 2005, produces critical aircraft structures, including wings and fuselages for Boeing’s 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner, and other platforms.
By securing these key Spirit AeroSystems assets, Airbus is reinforcing the stability and continuity of its supply chain, particularly for programs that depend heavily on Spirit’s manufacturing expertise. The parallel transactions — Airbus’ targeted acquisition and Boeing’s broader takeover of Spirit — are expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals. Together, the moves reflect a coordinated effort by the two aerospace giants to address supply chain vulnerabilities tied to Spirit’s critical role in commercial aircraft production.
A military history enthusiast, Richard began at Forecast International as editor of the World Weapons Weekly newsletter. As the Internet grew in importance as a research tool, he helped design the company's Forecast Intelligence Center and currently coordinates the EMarket Alert newsletters for clients. Richard also manages social media efforts, including two new blogs: Defense & Security Monitor, covering defense systems and international issues, and Flight Plan, which focuses on commercial aviation and space systems. For over 30 years, Richard has authored the Defense & Aerospace Companies, Volume I (North America) and Volume II (International) services. The two books provide detailed data on major aerospace and defense contractors. He also edits the International Contractors service, a database that tracks all the contractors involved in the programs covered in the FI library. More recently he was appointed Manager, Information Services Group (ISG), a new unit that encompasses developing outbound content for both Forecast International and Military Periscope.
