Airbus takes control of Prestwick aerospace plant – Daily Business

Airbus is taking control of much of the Spirit AeroSystems business in the UK including an aerospace manufacturing plant which employs hundreds of workers in South Ayrshire. 

Spirit employs about 1,150 engineers and other staff at Prestwick making wing components for the A320 and A350 aircraft.

The deal involves the acquisition of industrial assets around the world, including sites in Belfast, North Carolina in the US, St Nazaire in France and Casablanca in Morocco.

The historic Short Brothers factory in Belfast is to be broken up between the European aircraft manufacturer and its US rival Boeing.

Spirit was taken over in a $4.7 billion deal last year by Boeing as the American aircraft maker moved to shore up its supply chain.

The company added: “Airbus aims to ensure stability of supply for its commercial aircraft programmes through a more sustainable way forward, both operationally and financially, for key Airbus work packages.”

Closing of the transaction and the official transfer of operations is planned in the third quarter of this year, subject to regulatory and other customary approvals.