Airbus eyes operations at four Spirit Aero plants, sources say

PARIS (Reuters) – Airbus is poised to take over all or part of the operations of four Spirit AeroSystems plants as part of an impending deal that involves a carve-up of the U.S.-based aerostructures maker with Boeing, industry sources said.

As expected, the two main plants involved in the transfer to Airbus are Kinston, North Carolina, where Spirit makes a crucial part of the A350 fuselage known as Section 15, and a historic plant in Northern Ireland that makes carbon wings for the A220.

Additionally, Airbus is expected to absorb activities at a plant in the aerospace cluster in Casablanca, Morocco, where Spirit does some fuselage work for the A220 and produces some engine nacelles or housings for the A320, they said.

Also expected to be involved is Spirit’s plant in Saint-Nazaire in western France, which receives the A350 sections built in Kinston and partially assembles them to be sent on to Airbus in Toulouse where the wide-body jets are made.

Other Spirit plants include Wichita, Kansas, where it carries out its main Boeing operations, as well as Prestwick in Scotland, Subang in Malaysia and Tulsa, Oklahama.

Airbus and Spirit declined comment on the details of any impending deal.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher; Editing by Mark Potter)