Airbus has finalised a major deal to acquire parts of Spirit AeroSystems’ UK business, including the historic Short Brothers factory in Belfast and key operations in Prestwick, as it moves to secure critical components for its aircraft production lines.
The agreement follows Boeing’s $4.7 billion takeover of Spirit last year, a move aimed at reinforcing its supply chain. However, the complex web of Spirit’s commitments to both Boeing and Airbus required months of delicate negotiations to untangle.
Under the terms announced, Airbus will assume control of the Belfast facility producing wings and fuselage sections for the A220 — Airbus’s 130-seater jet — as well as the Prestwick site, where components for the A320 and A350 programmes are manufactured. Additional Spirit sites in the United States, France and Morocco are also included in the deal.
The transfer of these assets further cements the UK’s role as a global centre of excellence for Airbus wing production, joining its major plant at Broughton in north Wales and its design and engineering operations in Filton, near Bristol.
However, the future remains uncertain for many of the 3,500 staff at Spirit’s Belfast operations. Trade unions warned that up to 2,000 workers face ongoing uncertainty, particularly those working on non-Airbus contracts.
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