The competition authority “unconditionally” authorized the acquisition by the European aircraft manufacturer Airbus of certain activities of its subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, the French competition agency reported on Thursday, October 16. “At the end of an analysis carried out in coordination with the services of the European Commission, the authority authorized the operation unconditionally,” according to a statement published on its website.
The authority underlines in particular that it has “eliminated any risk of harm to competition through horizontal effects on aircraft parts supply markets.” Furthermore, it indicates that it has “ruled out any risk of sharing commercially sensitive information” relating to the activities of Airbus’ upstream and downstream competitors.
Acquisition of essentials by Boeing
This decision follows that of the European Union, which on Tuesday authorized the purchase by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing of Spirit Aerosystems, accompanied by several conditions aimed at preserving competition and preventing Airbus from being harmed. Last April, Airbus reached a final agreement that provides for the acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems activities, within the framework of this transaction, including the production of A350 fuselage sections in Kinston (United States) and Saint-Nazaire (France).
Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world’s largest suppliers of commercial aircraft structures, such as fuselages and wings. It was born in 2005 from the spin-off by the American aircraft manufacturer Boeing of some of its activities. In July 2024, the American manufacturer, mired in a deep crisis caused by quality problems in its production, particularly in the fuselages received from Spirit, announced the purchase of the supplier for $4.7 billion.
Source: BFM TV
