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.
Airbus will directly take on around 1,000 workers involved in producing A220 wings, while it seeks a third-party supplier to take over the fuselage operations involving approximately 500 staff. Meanwhile, employees involved in maintenance, repair and non-Airbus manufacturing for clients such as Rolls-Royce and Bombardier are expected to remain under Boeing’s ownership until a new buyer is found.
At Prestwick, Airbus is taking control of 1,150 workers supporting its A320 and A350 supply chains, although it hopes this arrangement will be temporary until another aerospace manufacturer can be found to acquire the facility.
As part of the transaction, Airbus will receive $439 million in compensation but has agreed to provide $200 million in credit lines to support investments in the newly acquired businesses.
“Airbus aims to ensure stability of supply for its commercial aircraft programmes through a more sustainable way forward, both operationally and financially, for key Airbus work packages,” the company said in a statement. An official added that the focus was on securing activities that are vital to Airbus’s current production ramp-up.
The Belfast factory became a cornerstone of Airbus’s A220 programme when it acquired the struggling C-Series jet from Bombardier and rebranded it under the Airbus name.
News of the deal was well received by investors, with Airbus shares rising by €3.72, or 2.7 per cent, to €144.32.