UK competition regulators have approved Boeing’s planned acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, though the agency has yet to disclose details related to its clearance.
The Competitions & Markets Authority had said on 26 June that it was evaluating the planned deal to determine if it would “result in a substantial lessening of competition”.
On 8 August, the agency said it had “cleared the anticipated acquisition”, adding that it would soon release the full text of its decision.
Wichita-based Spirit said on 5 August that it expected to close the deal with Boeing in the fourth quarter of this year.
Spirit’s UK operations include a Prestwick, Scotland site where it produces wing components for Airbus A320neos and A350s.
It also operates the former Short Brothers facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where it manufactures A220 wings and horizontal stabilisers and fuselage sections for Bombardier business jets.
As part of the planned Boeing-Spirit deal, Airbus has agreed to acquire Spirit’s Airbus programme work in Belfast and Prestwick.
Boeing stands to take ownership of the Bombardier work at Belfast, though Canadian business jet maker Bombardier has not ruled out acquiring that work.
“We will see what will happen next. We remain open to an acquisition. We are focused now on getting the right quality of fuselage we need to build our [aircraft],” Bombardier chief executive Eric Martel said on 31 July.
Bombardier previously owned the Short Brothers facility in Belfast but sold it to Spirit in 2020.
