Boeing announced the completion of its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems , a strategic move to reintegrate major manufacturing work and enhance supply chain control.
“This is a pivotal moment,” said Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg, emphasizing a focus on stability and quality as the companies integrate. The acquisition primarily brings Spirit’s commercial operations in-house, including fuselage production for the 737 program and major structures for the 767, 777, and 787. It also includes fuselages for the P-8 and KC-46 military aircraft.
Beyond airframe manufacturing, the deal significantly expands Boeing’s services portfolio. It adds Spirit’s large spare parts business, broadens its global maintenance and repair footprint, and grows its rotable parts and leasing operations.
Not all of Spirit will be fully absorbed. Spirit Defense will continue operating as an independent supplier to the defense industry, though it will align with Boeing Defense for financial reporting. Furthermore, Spirit’s operations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have been acquired and will operate as an independent subsidiary named Short Brothers, a Boeing Company.
Integration will immediately begin for Spirit’s commercial sites in Wichita, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Dallas, Texas; and the Aerospace Innovation Center in Prestwick, Scotland, bringing approximately 15,000 employees into Boeing.
Kansas political leaders hailed the deal as a validation of the state’s aerospace legacy. Governor Laura Kelly stated it “underscores the global significance” of Kansas’s work. Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, along with Congressman Ron Estes, welcomed Boeing’s return to Wichita, emphasizing the skilled workforce and the city’s enduring role as the “Air Capital of the World.” They expressed commitment to supporting the community and industry through this transition.
