Embattled defence firm Boeing has announced it will acquire aircraft manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems in a deal worth $4.7bn (£3.7bn).

Spirit, based in Kansas, has long been contracted to build important pieces of Boeing aircraft, including the fuselage of the 737 and 787, as well as the flight deck section of the fuselage of nearly all Boeing airliners. Spirit also produces parts for Boeing’s main rival Airbus, including fuselage sections and front wing spars for the A350 and the wings for the A220.

Spirit was previously owned by Boeing until 2005, when the division was sold off to the Onex Corporation.

Boeing said its decision to bring the firm back under its wing after nearly 20 years was part of efforts to align its safety and quality management. The firm has faced a difficult few years following two crashes in 2018 and 2019 involving its new 737 Max aircraft, which led to 346 deaths. Investigations revealed that the crashes were caused by faulty flight control systems.

Despite the fact...