Boeing in talks to buy Spirit AeroSystems, Wall Street Journal report says

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - Boeing is in talks to buy Spirit AeroSystems, according to a Wall Street Journal report released on Friday.

Spirit AeroSystems was formed back in 2005 after Boeing sold the Wichita division.

The Wichita company is a major supplier that provides Boeing with fuselages.

Boeing and Spirit are both facing scrutiny for the quality of their work after an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 was forced to make an emergency landing on Jan. 5 when a panel called a door plug blew out.

Earlier this week, the FAA gave Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building new planes. The agency said Wednesday that the directive follows meetings with top Boeing officials, including the company’s CEO, at FAA headquarters in Washington.

“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.”

The FAA did not indicate what action it might take if Boeing fails to meet the 90-day deadline. Boeing last month replaced the executive who had overseen the 737 program since early 2021.

When KSN News asked Spirit to comment about the possible purchase, the company said, "We do not comment on market speculation."

SPEEA, the union that represents 3,000 engineering and technical Spirit workers, says, "We are following the news and considering the implications, but until we know more, we can't comment." 

KSN will continue to follow this breaking news throughout the day on air and online.