Airbus has finalised a major agreement to acquire critical aerospace manufacturing sites from Spirit AeroSystems, including the historic Short Brothers plant in Belfast and a key facility in Prestwick, Scotland. The deal is part of a wider strategic move to stabilise Airbus’s supply chain and support its growing aircraft production.
The announcement follows Boeing’s $4.7 billion acquisition of Spirit last year. Since Spirit had long supplied components to both Boeing and Airbus, the transaction required careful negotiations to separate overlapping commitments.
Under the new arrangement, Airbus will take control of the Belfast site that manufactures wings and fuselage sections for the A220 aircraft, as well as the Prestwick operation responsible for producing components for the A320 and A350 programmes. The deal also includes Spirit facilities in the U.S., France, and Morocco.
The acquisition strengthens the UK’s role as a hub for Airbus wing manufacturing, complementing its existing operations in Broughton, North Wales, and Filton, near Bristol.
Despite the long-term strategic benefits, concerns remain over the future of workers at the Belfast site, where roughly 3,500 people are employed. Airbus will directly employ around 1,000 staff working on A220 wings, while it seeks a third-party supplier for fuselage production, affecting approximately 500 workers. Staff involved in non-Airbus work, including contracts with Bombardier and Rolls-Royce, will remain under Boeing’s ownership until another buyer is found.
At the Prestwick plant, Airbus will temporarily oversee around 1,150 employees but aims to eventually hand the facility over to another aerospace manufacturer.
As part of the agreement, Airbus will receive $439 million in compensation from Boeing, and in return will offer $200 million in credit lines to support operations and investment in the newly acquired assets.
In a statement, Airbus said the transaction was essential to “ensure stability of supply for its commercial aircraft programmes” and described it as a step toward “a more sustainable way forward, both operationally and financially.”
The Belfast factory has played a central role in the A220 programme since Airbus took over the former C-Series jet from Bombardier in 2018.
Following the announcement, Airbus shares rose 2.7 per cent to €144.32, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s efforts to secure its production lines amid global supply chain challenges.
