Airbus to assume control over Spirit Airlines
Airbus, the European multinational aerospace corporation, has announced a significant expansion of its global production network. The company has agreed to take over several key production sites from struggling supplier Spirit Aerosystems, as part of a binding memorandum of understanding signed on July 1, 2024.
The acquisition includes plants in Kinston, North Carolina, and Wichita, Kansas, which currently produce A350 fuselage sections and A220 engine pylons, respectively. Airbus also plans to acquire wing component production for the A320 and A350 in Scottish Prestwick.
In a joint statement, Airbus and Spirit Aerosystems revealed that the various plants were taken over at a nominal purchase price of one dollar. Spirit Aerosystems will compensate Airbus with a sum of $439 million for the takeover, a figure that has been adjusted from the initial $559 million due to changes in the transaction scope since July 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, Airbus will take over A220 wing production and the manufacture of the middle A220 fuselage section from Spirit Aerosystems in Northern Ireland, but only if the company does not find a buyer for that part of the site. The site in Saint-Nazaire, France, which produces A350 fuselage sections for Airbus, will also be part of the takeover.
Airbus aims to achieve stability in the supply chain for its commercial aircraft programs by adopting a more operationally and financially sustainable approach to key Airbus work packages. This move is expected to strengthen Airbus' position in the global aerospace industry.
Wolfgang Borgmann, an aviation journalist who has been working for AERO INTERNATIONAL since February 2022, will cover the Industry & Technology section in the AERO INTERNATIONAL team. Borgmann, who has been in the aviation journalism field for 30 years, has published a total of 32 books under his name, dealing with various aspects of aviation history. His interest in aviation was sparked by his parents, who worked for airlines.
In a separate development, Spirit Aerosystems has designated Malaysian Aerospace Engineering (MAE) as the buyer for the sale of its Subang facility that manufactures aero components for Airbus. The Malaysian site of Subang is planned to be sold by Spirit Aerosystems to an external partner.
Airbus expects the takeover of the sites to be completed by the third quarter of the year. The acquisition is expected to bolster Airbus' production capabilities and strengthen its position in the global aerospace industry.
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