Boeing is in talks to re-acquire Spirit AeroSystems, the maker of fuselage parts for its troubled 737 Max aircraft, marking a shift in stance regarding outsourcing by the US plane maker.
The reintegration of Spirit into Boeing would address safety concerns, which came to a head on January 5 after an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 suffered a door panel blowout, Virginia-based Boeing said in a statement on Friday.
“We have been working closely with Spirit AeroSystems and its leadership to strengthen the quality of the commercial airplanes that we build together. We confirm that our collaboration has resulted in preliminary discussions about making Spirit AeroSystems a part of Boeing again,” it said.
“We believe that the reintegration of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems' manufacturing operations would further strengthen aviation safety, improve quality and serve the interests of our customers, employees, and shareholders.”
However, Boeing gave no assurance that an agreement will be reached, but stressed that it was “committed to finding ways to continue to improve the safety and quality of the airplanes on which millions of people depend each and every day”.
Kansas-based Spirit confirmed the talks, as well as the uncertainty that a deal will be agreed upon, in a separate statement on its website.
Spirit said that it is “currently engaged in discussions with Boeing about a possible acquisition … no assurances can be given that a definitive agreement will be entered into, that any transaction will be consummated, or the timing, terms or conditions of any such transaction”.
“The Spirit board of directors and management team are committed to enhancing shareholder value and regularly review the company’s opportunities to further this objective.”
A Boeing-Spirit reunion would mark a turnaround for the former, which had relied on outsourcing for the supply of its key aircraft parts.
However, following the Alaska Airlines blowout, Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun appeared to have changed his stance after the company's fourth-quarter earnings report, seeming to imply that the company may have gone too far with outsourcing.
The company's narrowed its loss to $30 million in the fourth quarter. Its stock, which tumbled after the Alaska Airlines incident, is now down nearly 21 per cent year-to-date.
Boeing's 737 programme is under scrutiny from regulators after the Alaska Airlines blowout. A rush of air blew through the aircraft after the panel broke off, damaging several seats and ripping off the insulation from the plane's walls.
That also caused several 737 planes to be grounded, as scrutiny ramped up from lawmakers, regulators and airlines themselves, as well as claim the job of 737 Max programme boss Ed Clark, who was fired on February 21.
Before the Alaska Airlines debacle, Boeing had urged airlines to inspect 737 Max aircraft for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system.
Also in January, the US Federal Aviation Administration launched an investigation after a Delta Air Lines Boeing 757 passenger plane's nose wheel fell off and rolled away as the jet lined up for take-off.
All these prompted Boeing to step up inspections for the 737 Max and, along with Spirit, open its factories to airline customers for additional oversight.
Dubai's Emirates, the world's biggest long-haul airline and one of Boeing's biggest customers, had said it will send its own engineers to observe the production process of Boeing's 777 aircraft and Spirit following the latest safety issues.
Emirates president Tim Clark had said that Boeing has let its production standards slip and that it was in the “last chance saloon”, he told the Financial Times.
This week, Mr Clark called for changes at Boeing after the series of technical snags in the past couple of months.
Boeing has been given 90 days by the FAA to come up with a plan to improve quality and meet safety standards.
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
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the pledge
I pledge to uphold the duty of tolerance
I pledge to take a first stand against hate and injustice
I pledge to respect and accept people whose abilities, beliefs and culture are different from my own
I pledge to wish for others what I wish for myself
I pledge to live in harmony with my community
I pledge to always be open to dialogue and forgiveness
I pledge to do my part to create peace for all
I pledge to exercise benevolence and choose kindness in all my dealings with my community
I pledge to always stand up for these values: Zayed's values for tolerance and human fraternity
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed PDK
Power: 630bhp
Torque: 820Nm
Price: Dh683,200
On sale: now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
yallacompare profile
Date of launch: 2014
Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer
Based: Media City, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: 120 employees
Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
