In a major boost for the UK's aerospace sector, European aviation giant Airbus is poised to rescue 2,750 manufacturing jobs after finalising a long-anticipated agreement with its American rival, Boeing.
Deal Details: Securing Futures in Belfast and Prestwick
According to sources cited in reports, Airbus will confirm as early as Monday 8 December 2025 that it will take on approximately 1,550 people at a factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and a further 1,200 people for roles in Prestwick, Scotland. This arrangement is a direct carve-out from Boeing's ongoing $4.7bn (£3.5bn) takeover of supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which was announced last year.
The deal brings much-needed relief to thousands of UK aerospace workers whose positions were thrown into uncertainty by Boeing's acquisition plans. Spirit owns both the Belfast facility, a dedicated wing production site, and the Scottish plant, which manufactures leading and trailing edges for aircraft wings. These sites had been operating under a series of short-term deals while negotiations continued.
Background: A Turbulent Path to Agreement
Boeing's decision to reacquire Spirit AeroSystems came in the wake of the January 2024 Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max mid-air door plug blowout, a crisis that further rocked a programme already marred by two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. The move was seen as an effort to tighten control over its supply chain and quality assurance.
Airbus, while navigating its own recent challenges including a systems glitch requiring urgent software updates, has now stepped in to secure the Spirit capabilities it deems essential. Boeing is expected to retain around 2,000 staff across the two UK sites who are not being transferred to Airbus.
Completion and Strategic Importance
The US Federal Trade Commission has already granted regulatory approval for Boeing's acquisition of Spirit, allowing it to proceed towards a planned completion by the end of this year. Airbus has stated that this FTC decision represents a "significant milestone", formalising the pathway for it to acquire the specific Spirit operations critical to its commercial aircraft programmes.
This strategic manoeuvre not only safeguards a significant portion of the UK's high-skilled manufacturing base but also stabilises a key part of the European aerospace supply chain. For the workers in Belfast and Prestwick, the announcement marks the end of a prolonged period of anxiety and the beginning of a more secure future under Airbus's stewardship.
