Under pressure on plane safety, Boeing is buying stressed supplier Spirit for $4.7 billion
A Boeing 737 Max jet prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in Seattle, Sept. 30, 2020. Boeing announced plans late Sunday, June 30, 2024, to acquire Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion in an all-stock transaction for the manufacturing firm. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Boeing announced plans to acquire key supplier Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion, a move that it says will improve plane quality and safety amid increasing scrutiny by Congress, airlines and the Department of Justice.
Boeing previously owned Spirit, and the purchase would reverse a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing key work on its passenger planes. That approach has been criticized as problems at Spirit disrupted production and delivery of popular Boeing jetliners, including 737s and 787s.
"We believe this deal is in the best interest of the flying public, our airline customers, the employees of Spirit and Boeing, our shareholders and the country more broadly," Boeing President and CEO Dave Calhoun said in a statement late Sunday.
Support Local News
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber? Login
Daily Inter Lake - everything
Print delivery, e-edition and unlimited website access
- $26.24 per month
Daily Inter Lake - unlimited website access
- $9.95 per month