Boeing Gets EU Approval for $4.7 Billion Spirit Acquisition

Boeing has received EU antitrust approval for its $4.7 billion deal to acquire Spirit AeroSystems. The deal will strengthen Boeing's commercial aircraft production capabilities. The acquisition is expected to close in mid-2021.

Boeing has received European Union antitrust approval for its $4.7 billion acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems. The deal, announced in July 2024, aims to streamline Boeing’s operations and enhance quality control. The European Commission is expected to announce its decision by October 14, 2025, according to Mexico Business News.

To address competition concerns, Spirit may need to sell certain businesses. The deal includes divesting Spirit’s loss-making Europe-focused activities to Airbus and facilities in Prestwick, Scotland; Subang, Malaysia; and Belfast, Northern Ireland. These operations include both Airbus-related and independent activities to meet EU requirements, Mexico Business News reports.

The acquisition is a key step toward bringing Spirit AeroSystems back under Boeing’s control after two decades apart. Boeing spun off the Wichita-based supplier in 2005 to cut costs, but Spirit has struggled as an independent company. The acquisition is expected to close in mid-2025, according to an AeroTime article.

Boeing's acquisition of Spirit is part of its broader strategy to recover from a prolonged manufacturing and safety crisis. Following a January 2025 door plug blowout on a 737 MAX 9, Boeing has been under heavy regulatory scrutiny. The acquisition is aimed at simplifying oversight, eliminating costly coordination between Boeing and Spirit, and improving profit margins once integration costs are absorbed, the AeroTime article noted.

Spirit AeroSystems builds major structures for commercial and military aircraft, including 737 fuselages, pylons, and wing components. The company’s financial health has been a growing concern for Boeing, particularly after a series of production and quality issues disrupted 737 MAX deliveries earlier this year. Bringing Spirit in-house could reduce delivery bottlenecks and allow closer inspection of manufacturing processes, the AeroTime piece added.

The acquisition also benefits Airbus, which will gain greater control of production tied to its A220 program. By absorbing the Spirit facilities linked to its jets, Airbus will be able to stabilize output and reduce dependence on a struggling supplier, the AeroTime article observed.

The deal has already received approval from Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, which cleared it in August 2025 without conditions. The EU’s pending decision is viewed as the final major regulatory hurdle. US authorities are still reviewing the transaction but are not expected to block it, given that both companies have outlined a plan to preserve fair access for other aircraft makers, according to AeroTime.

If cleared by the EU, Boeing would still need to close the sale of the Airbus-related operations before the full merger can take effect. Both Boeing and Spirit have declined public comment while the review remains active.