Airbus SE has completed the strategic acquisition of key manufacturing sites from Spirit AeroSystems. This move brings critical production activities for Airbus’s A220, A320, and A350 aircraft programs directly under its operational control.
The company announced the closure of the transaction, which sees several major facilities officially joining the Airbus industrial ecosystem. These include the sites in Kinston, North Carolina, and Saint-Nazaire, France, which produce A350 fuselage sections. They will now operate as Airbus Aerosystems Kinston and Airbus Atlantic Cadréan, respectively.
In Morocco, the Casablanca facility, which manufactures components for the A321 and A220, has been renamed Airbus Atlantic Maroc Aero. In the United Kingdom, the Belfast site producing A220 wings and mid-fuselage becomes Airbus Belfast, while the Prestwick plant, which makes wing components for the A320 and A350, will continue under the affiliate name Prestwick Aerosystems.
A notable logistical change involves the production of A220 engine pylons, which will be relocated from Wichita, Kansas, USA, to the Airbus site in Saint-Eloi, Toulouse, France.
Financially, the transaction results in a net positive cash inflow for Airbus. The company will receive $559 million from Spirit AeroSystems, which includes a $439 million compensation payment and an additional $120 million to settle specific liabilities. This sum is subject to standard purchase price adjustments and a post-closing review.
Florent Massou, Executive Vice President of Operations for Airbus Commercial Aircraft, emphasized the human and strategic importance of the deal. “This milestone marks a special moment for all of us at Airbus. 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,” he stated.
The acquisition significantly strengthens Airbus’s supply chain resilience and vertical integration, securing key production capacities for its most important aircraft models and directly integrating a substantial, skilled workforce into its global operations.
