Boeing has completed its $4.7 billion acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, reabsorbing the major aerostructures supplier nearly two decades after it was spun off. The deal brings back under Boeing’s control the company responsible for building fuselages for the 737 Max, including the Alaska Airlines aircraft involved in a high‑profile door‑panel blowout in early 2024 ABC News U.S. News & World Report.
The takeover, in development for more than a year, marks a pivotal restructuring of Boeing’s supply chain. Spirit AeroSystems — once the world’s largest independent producer of wings and fuselages — had become a vulnerable link in Boeing’s production system, facing quality‑control lapses and regulatory scrutiny following the Max 9 incident ABC News Assembly Magazine.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg called the acquisition a “pivotal moment” for the company, saying the priority now is to stabilise production and ensure consistent quality across commercial and defence programmes. The move brings all Boeing‑related Spirit operations back in‑house, while Spirit’s defence work — including components for the KC‑46 and B‑21 — will operate as a non‑integrated subsidiary under Boeing’s defence division Breaking Defense.
The deal also includes parts of Spirit’s operations in Northern Ireland, while other units have been divested to Airbus, Malaysian partners and private buyers as part of the supplier’s dismantling process CNBC.
Industry analysts say the acquisition is aimed at tightening oversight, reducing manufacturing defects and restoring confidence in Boeing’s production pipeline after years of turbulence. The company says the integration will help streamline operations and strengthen long‑term supply‑chain resilience.
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