Boeing has received clearance from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for its planned $4.7 billion all-stock acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, removing one of the final regulatory barriers to completing the deal. The CMA confirmed it would not escalate the review to a Phase 2 investigation, with the full decision to be published in due course.
The move brings Boeing closer to regaining ownership of Spirit — the world’s largest independent aerostructures manufacturer — nearly 20 years after spinning it off. Under the agreement, Boeing will reacquire key facilities in Wichita and Tulsa, as well as a maintenance, repair, and overhaul site in Dallas. Including debt, the total transaction value is estimated at $8.3 billion.
Airbus to Acquire Select Spirit Operations
As part of a parallel arrangement, Airbus will take over several Spirit plants tied to its own aircraft programs. These include A350 fuselage sites in Kinston, North Carolina and St. Nazaire, France; A321 and A220 component facilities in Casablanca, Morocco; A320 and A350 wing work in Prestwick, Scotland; and A220 pylon and wing production in Wichita, Kansas, and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Context: Safety Pressures and Supply Chain Challenges
The reacquisition talks began in March 2024, following a series of operational and quality setbacks across Boeing’s supply chain. The urgency increased after the January 2024 Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 incident, where a door plug on a 737 MAX 9 detached mid-flight due to a manufacturing error, triggering intensified scrutiny on Boeing’s production oversight.
Spirit AeroSystems has also faced financial and operational headwinds in recent years. The company has sold off certain non-core assets, such as Fiber Materials in Maine and Rhode Island, and abandoned efforts to sell its A220 mid-fuselage production in Belfast — a line that will now transfer to Airbus.
Strategic Objectives
For Boeing, bringing Spirit back in-house is intended to tighten quality control, streamline production, and strengthen supply chain resilience. The move is seen as critical to preventing further high-profile manufacturing issues and restoring confidence among regulators and airline customers.
Investor sentiment reacted positively to the CMA’s decision, with Boeing shares up 0.8% in early trading.
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