Boeing to buy supplier Spirit AeroSystems in $4.7bn deal

US aircraft maker reverses decision it made nearly 20 years ago to outsource part of production amid safety crisis

Boeing has agreed a $4.7bn (£3.7bn) deal to buy the parts supplier it sold nearly 20 years ago, as it seeks to improve safety on its production lines after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines-operated plane mid-flight earlier this year.

The under-pressure US planemaker will buy Spirit Aerosystems, which supplies it with fuselage and wing parts, as it attempts to improve safety and quality in its manufacturing processes.