Acquisition Makes Spirit’s Commercial and Aftermarket Operations Part of Boeing

Boeing has checked off all the boxes on its Spirit AeroSystems acquisitions, officially absorbing the company’s commercial aircraft manufacturing and aftermarket affairs. The combined operation will also be launching a new standalone defense business under the banner “Spirit Defense.”

The move brings major fuselage and structural production for Boeing’s commercial jets, including the 737, 767, 777, and 787, under direct Boeing control, along with repair, spare parts, and overhaul capacity previously outsourced. The new Spirit Defense branch will operate as a separately governed unit under Boeing Defense, Space & Security to preserve existing defense contracts.

Under the new arrangement, commercial activities from Spirit’s facilities in Wichita, Dallas, Tulsa, and Prestwick, Scotland, will be integrated into Boeing’s global operations. The Belfast, Northern Ireland, facility becomes an independent subsidiary branded as Short Brothers, a Boeing company. And, as a result, the 15,000 Spirit employees from the sites now become Boeing teammates.

"This is a pivotal moment in Boeing's history and future success as we begin to integrate Spirit AeroSystems' commercial and aftermarket operations and establish Spirit Defense," said Kelly Ortberg, president and chief executive officer of The Boeing Company. "As we welcome our new teammates and bring our two companies together, our focus is on maintaining stability so we can continue delivering high quality airplanes, differentiated services, and advanced defense capabilities for our customers and the industry."

Bringing fuselage and structural manufacturing in-house hopes to bring some much-needed stability to Boeing’s supply chain, especially if the airline continues to strive for production increases moving into 2026. The addition of aftermarket service to Boeing Global Services could mean more reliable deliveries, faster spare-part availability, and smoother maintenance support for airlines and operators.

FMI: www.boeing.com