Airbus has entered into a definitive agreement with Spirit AeroSystems for the acquisition of industrial assets dedicated to its commercial aircraft programs.
As part of this agreement, Airbus will assume ownership of the following Spirit AeroSystems assets:
- the Kinston, North Carolina, USA facility (A350 fuselage sections);
- the St. Nazaire, unit (A350 fuselage sections);
- the Casablanca, Morocco unit (A321 and A220 components);
- the production of A220 pylons in Wichita, Kansas, USA;
- the production of A220 wings in Belfast, Northern Ireland; and
- Airbus will acquire the production of A220 centre fuselage in Belfast, Northern Ireland, unless Spirit AeroSystems identifies a suitable buyer for the part of the facility where these activities are located. Airbus will also acquire the production of wing components for the A320 and A350 in Prestwick, Scotland. Spirit AeroSystems intends to sell the Subang, Malaysia, facility to a third party.
The compensation amount has been adjusted to reflect this revised transaction perimeter, in line with the provisions of the binding agreement announced on July 1, 2024. Airbus will be compensated with a payment of US$439 million from Spirit AeroSystems, subject to certain adjustments at closing.
The and financial impact of this agreement are in line with the preliminary estimates of Adjusted EBIT and Free Cash Flow before Customer Financing included in Airbus’ 2025 guidance issued on 20 February 2025.
With this transaction, Airbus aims to ensure supply stability for its commercial aircraft programs through a more sustainable approach, both operationally and financially, for Airbus’ key work packages.
Closing of the transaction and official transfer of operations is expected in the third quarter of 2025, subject to regulatory and other customary approvals.
Airbus has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Spirit AeroSystems, under which Airbus has agreed to, among other things, provide Spirit AeroSystems with interest-free credit facilities totaling US$200 million, which will be used by Spirit AeroSystems to Airbus' programs.
