Boeing has formally expanded its UK presence following the completion of its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, bringing major aerospace operations in Northern Ireland and Scotland under Boeing ownership.
As part of the deal, Spirit AeroSystems’ Belfast operations have transferred to Boeing and will operate as an independent subsidiary under the name Short Brothers, a Boeing Company. The site will report directly into Boeing Global Services, supported by Boeing’s UK leadership team.
Kim Smith, Senior Vice President of Boeing Global Services Quality, Operations and Execution, said: “We welcome the Short Brothers family to Boeing and look forward to leveraging the team’s outstanding aerospace capabilities, further strengthening the value we bring to our customers around the world.”
Short Brothers is a long-established aerospace manufacturer, producing fuselage sections, engine nacelles, horizontal stabilisers and other flight components for a range of business jet and aerospace programmes. The site also supports a significant aftermarket business and has been expanding its activities in space and defence, supported by in-house engineering and research and development expertise in advanced materials and manufacturing technologies.
Sir Jeremy Quin, President of Boeing UK & Ireland, said the acquisition reinforced Boeing’s long-term commitment to Northern Ireland. “The site’s rich history and legacy, in addition to its highly skilled workforce, is a strong addition to our operations in Northern Ireland where we already have robust supply chain and strategic academic partnerships,” he said.
Ciara Kennedy, Vice President and General Manager of Short Brothers, said: “Boeing’s expansion of its UK footprint in Northern Ireland is a significant milestone for Short Brothers, our aerospace sector and the local economy.” She added: “Our heritage is built on years of innovation and resilience, and joining Boeing is a huge opportunity for us to further adapt and grow with the support of a global leader.”
The acquisition also brings Spirit AeroSystems’ Aerospace Innovation Centre in Prestwick, Scotland, into Boeing. Around 60 staff at the centre will be integrated into Boeing Technology Innovation, where they will continue research and development work on new aerospace technologies.
I thought Airbus was getting Prestwick.
I thought they were getting Belfast too. I can see prices getting jacked up and quality dropping now. Surprised airbus hasn’t stepped in.
“In 2024, Boeing and Airbus agreed to split Spirit Aerosystems’ assets. When the deal closed in December 2025, Boeing became the main owner of the Belfast site and took on 2400 of the site’s 3500 staff. The portion of the site handling activities for Airbus aircraft is to be leased to Airbus, and the corresponding staff hired by Airbus.“
Hi Coll, Boeing have taken on the AIC Building, the rest of the site and staff have been taken over by Airbus using an affiliate company “Prestwick Aerosystems”, it was originally going to be Airbus but for some sort of political reason they had to use the affiliate name instead. I work on-site there quite often, been with them for years, the staff are very relieved as you can imagine now that things have been finalised, should be getting even busier in the near future as well.
Thank for clearing that up.