Prime Highlights
- Airbus will acquire major assets from Spirit AeroSystems, safeguarding nearly 3,000 aerospace jobsacross Belfast and Prestwick and preserving historic manufacturing sites.
- The acquisition ensures a stable supply of critical wing componentsfor Airbus’s A220, A320, and A350 aircraft, supporting long-term production sustainability.
Key Facts
- Airbus will take on 1,550 employees in Belfast and 1,200 in Prestwick, expanding its UK workforce to around 14,000.
- The deal includes Spirit facilities in the US, France, and Morocco, aligning Airbus’s global production network and reinforcing its manufacturing capabilities.
Background
Airbus is set to acquire major assets from Spirit AeroSystems, securing nearly 3,000 aerospace jobs across Belfast and Prestwick. The deal, announced in early December, forms part of a complex carve-out linked to Boeing’s takeover of Spirit and aims to stabilise Airbus’s production network during a period of global supply-chain strain.
Airbus will take on around 1,550 employees in Belfast and 1,200 in Prestwick, preserving two historic manufacturing sites. Belfast, home to the former Short Brothers factory, builds wings for the A220 aircraft, while Prestwick produces leading and trailing wing-edge components for the A320 and A350 families.
To support the transition, Spirit will pay USD 439 million to Airbus as compensation for taking on loss-making operations. Airbus said the move would ensure a steady supply of critical structures for its commercial aircraft programmes and create a more sustainable long-term production model. The deal remains subject to regulatory approvals, with a key update expected soon.
Boeing’s 2024 plan to re-acquire Spirit, which it had spun off in 2005, made the carve-out necessary. Because Spirit supplies both Airbus and Boeing, regulators and industry planners required a split to prevent disruptions to Airbus programmes. The transaction expands Airbus’s UK workforce to roughly 14,000 people and strengthens the country’s position as a global centre for wing manufacturing.
Beyond the UK, the acquisition includes Spirit facilities in the US, France, and Morocco, further aligning Airbus’s worldwide production network. Airbus will also provide Spirit with $200 million in non-interest credit lines to support Airbus-related work during the transition.
The restructuring shows Spirit AeroSystems is transforming into an independent supplier while keeping key aerospace capabilities safe.