Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) may entertain purchasing select Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR) assets if Boeing (NYSE:BA) were to acquire the aircraft parts supplier, as revealed by the French aerospace giant’s chief finance officer.
Exploring Potential Acquisitions
This revelation comes on the heels of Boeing (BA) and Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) acknowledging their preliminary acquisition discussions earlier this month, confirming speculations that had surfaced in various media reports.
Spirit (SPR) has engaged in initial talks with Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) concerning the possible sale of its manufacturing plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Allegedly, Boeing (BA) is not enthusiastic about taking ownership of Spirit’s Airbus operations, which encompass the aforementioned factory.
In an interview with CNBC, Spirit (SPR) CFO Thomas Toepfer remarked, “In light of the situation today where Boeing has potentially the interest to take over Spirit, we could also imagine that some of the work packages could find their way to Airbus and we take them over, but that quite frankly is a discussion that’s in the very very early stages and it’s way too early to comment on that.”
Potential Strategic Shifts
Toepfer further explained that Spirit (SPR) plays a crucial role in manufacturing the wings for the Airbus A220 aircraft and a section for the A350 model.
Recent reports indicate that Boeing (BA) is evaluating strategies to reduce or sever Spirit AeroSystems’ (SPR) connections with Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF) in anticipation of a prospective acquisition of the supplier. Reuters mentioned that Boeing (BA) is also bracing for potential objections from European regulators regarding Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF), particularly concerning critical components that may involve proprietary design and technology.