Spirit AeroSystems

National

Boeing buys struggling supplier Spirit AeroSystems to shore up 737 production woes

12:59am July 01, 2024

Boeing agreed to buy Spirit AeroSystems, the Kansas-based supplier that makes fuselages for the 737 Max jet, in a deal intended to improve quality after a midair door plug blowout.

National

As Boeing looks to buy a key 737 supplier, a whistleblower says the problems run deep

4:15pm June 16, 2024

by Joel Rose

Boeing says a deal to buy fuselage-maker Spirit AeroSystems will help it control quality and safety. But a whistleblower who worked at Spirit for over a decade warns its problems won’t be easy to fix.

Queue Listen Now

National

The Texas attorney general is investigating a supplier of Boeing 737 parts

10:07am March 29, 2024

by Ayana Archie

In January, a door plug flew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane during a flight, leaving a hole in the fuselage, some of which are produced by Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc.

Boeing workers at the Renton Municipal Airport in Washington finalize assembly of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max jet on Feb. 27. An FAA audit faulted Boeing for "multiple instances" of quality control shortcomings.

National

FAA audit faults Boeing for 'multiple instances' of quality control shortcomings

5:05pm March 04, 2024

The findings, part of a six-week audit by the FAA, singled out both Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems in the wake of January's in-flight door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jet.

Boeing announced a management shakeup - including the ouster of the leader of the 737 Max production line. At the Singapore Airshow, miniature models of Boeing aircraft including the 737 Max (front) are displayed on February 21, 2024.

National

Boeing ousts the head of its troubled 737 Max program after quality control concerns

3:45pm February 21, 2024

by Joel Rose

The Boeing executive who oversaw the troubled 737 Max program, Ed Clark, has left the company. It's part of a broader management shakeup after a door plug panel blew off a jet in midair last month.

A 737 Max 8 undergoes final assembly inside Boeing's factory in Renton, Wash., on March 27, 2019. Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems makes the fuselages and ships them to Washington. A series of production issues at Spirit have led to problems.

National

Why problems at a key Boeing supplier may help explain the company's 737 Max 9 mess

5:05am February 05, 2024

by Joel Rose

Federal investigators are scrutinizing Spirit AeroSystems, a major Boeing supplier based in Kansas, as they try to understand why a fuselage panel blew off an Alaska Airlines jet in midair last month.

the Federal Aviation Administration has grounded 171 of the 737 Max 9 planes in the United States, as it conducts an audit of the Boeing's production line. FAA officials have said the regulator is considering adding an independent third-party inspector to oversee Boeing inspections and quality.

National

Amid scrutiny, Boeing promises more quality checks. But is it enough?

5:02am January 17, 2024

by Vanessa Romo

The aircraft maker is under renewed pressure to strengthen quality management across its production lines. But critics say a fundamental cultural shift is needed.