Spirit AeroSystems facts for kids
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Formerly
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Mid-Western Aircraft Systems |
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| Public | |
| Traded as |
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| Industry | Aerospace |
| Fate | Pending acquisition by Boeing and partial asset transfer to Airbus (expected Q3 2025) |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
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Key people
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Pat Shanahan (President & CEO) Irene Esteves (EVP & CFO) |
| Revenue |  US$1,813 million (2023) |
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Operating income
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US$198 million |
| US$59 million (2023) |
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| Total assets | US$6,950 million (2023) |
| Total equity |  US$(512.8) million (2023) |
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Number of employees
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20,655 (2023) |
| Footnotes / references Financials as of December 31, 2023[update]. References: |
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Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. is a major American company that builds important parts for airplanes. These parts are called "aerostructures." They make things like the main body (fuselage) and wings for large passenger planes.
Spirit AeroSystems is based in Wichita, Kansas. They are a key supplier for big airplane makers like Boeing and Airbus. For Boeing, they build parts for the Boeing 737 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. For Airbus, they make parts for the Airbus A350 and Airbus A220.
The company was created in 2005 when Boeing sold off its Wichita factory. In 2024, Boeing agreed to buy Spirit AeroSystems back. Also, some parts of Spirit that make Airbus components are being transferred directly to Airbus. These changes are expected to be completed in late 2025.
Contents
How Spirit AeroSystems Started
Spirit AeroSystems began in June 2005. Before that, it was part of Boeing's operations in Wichita, Kansas. Boeing decided to sell this part of its business to an investment company called Onex Corporation. The sale included factories in Wichita, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and McAlester, Oklahoma.
After the sale, the company was first called Mid-Western Aircraft Systems. A few months later, it was renamed Spirit AeroSystems. Boeing sold these factories to focus more on other parts of its business.
The Wichita factory has a long history. It started as Stearman Aircraft in 1927. Boeing took control of it in 1941. This factory built famous military planes like the Boeing B-29 Superfortress and the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Today, the Wichita factory mainly builds the main body sections for the Boeing 737 airplane.
The Tulsa factory was originally a Douglas Aircraft Company plant. It built bombers during World War II. Later, it assembled planes like the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. The Tulsa plant now builds wings and other parts for Boeing aircraft.
The McAlester factory opened in 1964. It helped with projects like the Apollo space capsules. This factory focused on making machined parts to support the Tulsa factory. Both the Tulsa and McAlester factories became part of Boeing in 1996. Spirit AeroSystems closed the McAlester plant in 2020, moving its work to Tulsa and Wichita.
Growing Beyond Boeing
When Onex Corporation owned Spirit, the goal was to make parts for more customers than just Boeing. In 2006, Spirit bought a business from BAE Systems in the United Kingdom. This new part of Spirit made many components for Airbus.
Spirit also opened new factories around the world. In 2009, they opened a plant in Subang, Malaysia, to help with demand. In 2010, a new factory in Kinston, North Carolina, started making parts for the Airbus A350. These parts are then sent to another Spirit plant in Saint-Nazaire, France, for more assembly.
Spirit also won contracts to build wings for business jets like the Gulfstream G280 and G650. Onex Corporation sold its last shares of Spirit in 2014.
In 2019, Spirit bought parts of Bombardier Aviation's business in Belfast and Casablanca. The Belfast plant makes wings for the Airbus A220, and the Casablanca factory makes the middle body section for the A220.
Spirit also bought Fiber Materials Inc. in 2020. This company makes special materials for defense and space. In 2021, Spirit bought Applied Aerodynamics, a company that repairs and maintains aircraft parts in Dallas.
Boeing Buys Spirit Back
After some challenges with quality control, Boeing started talking about buying Spirit AeroSystems again in March 2024. There had been concerns, including an incident in January 2024 where a part on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft came off during a flight. This part, called a door plug, was made and first put together by Spirit AeroSystems.
In June 2024, Boeing agreed to buy Spirit AeroSystems for about $4.7 billion. This deal was expected to be completed in mid-2025. As part of the plan, Boeing would take back the Wichita and Tulsa plants, along with the repair facility in Dallas.
In January 2025, Spirit sold Fiber Materials Inc. (the Biddeford and Woonsocket sites) to Tex-Tech Industries.
On April 28, 2025, Spirit announced a separate agreement with Airbus. Under this agreement, Airbus would directly take over some of Spirit's factories and assets that make Airbus parts. Both the Boeing and Airbus deals are expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2025.
As part of the Airbus agreement, Airbus will take over Spirit's factories in Kinston, North Carolina; Saint-Nazaire, France; and Casablanca, Morocco. Airbus will also get the production of A320 and A350 wing parts in Prestwick, Scotland, and A220 parts in Wichita and Belfast.
In July 2025, it was announced that the A220 mid-fuselage production in Belfast would also transfer to Airbus. The remaining parts of the Belfast operation, which make parts for Bombardier business jets, will go to Boeing. The factory in Subang, Malaysia, is planned to be sold to another company.
What Spirit AeroSystems Makes
Spirit AeroSystems mainly builds large metal and composite parts for airplanes. These "aerostructures" are used in planes made by Boeing, Airbus, and Bombardier. They also make parts for business jets and military aircraft.
Spirit's most important job has always been making the main body (fuselage) of the Boeing 737. They also build the nose and front cabin sections for most Boeing jetliners. These Boeing parts are mostly made at Spirit's former Boeing factory complex in Wichita, Kansas.
Spirit also makes major fuselage and wing parts for current Airbus planes. They also produce parts for other aircraft, including the bodies of the Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter.
Where Spirit AeroSystems Makes Things
Spirit AeroSystems has factories in several countries:
- United States
- Wichita, Kansas: This factory used to be part of Boeing. Most of it is expected to transfer to Boeing, but A220 pylon production will go to Airbus.
- Dallas, Texas: This facility repairs and maintains aircraft parts. It is expected to transfer to Boeing.
- Kinston, North Carolina: This factory is transferring to Airbus.
- Tulsa, Oklahoma: This factory used to be part of Boeing. It is expected to transfer to Boeing.
- United Kingdom
- Belfast, Northern Ireland: This factory used to be part of Bombardier. The A220 wing and mid-fuselage production are transferring to Airbus. The rest of the operations are transferring to Boeing.
- Prestwick, Scotland: This factory used to be part of BAE Systems. Production for A320 and A350 wings is transferring to Airbus. The rest of the operations are transferring to Boeing.
- France
- Saint-Nazaire: This factory is transferring to Airbus.
- Malaysia
- Subang: This factory is planned to be sold to another company.
- Morocco
- Casablanca: This factory used to be part of Bombardier. It is transferring to Airbus.
External links
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- Business data for Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc.: Google Finance
- Yahoo! Finance
- Bloomberg
- Reuters
- SEC filings
