Boeing confirms it’s in talks to buy Spirit AeroSystems, its key supplier on the troubled 737 Max

Boeing said Friday that it is in “preliminary discussions” to buy Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for Boeing 737 Max jetliners, including the one that suffered a door-panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Boeing used to own Spirit, and it said that bringing the manufacturer back into the Boeing fold would improve plane quality and safety, which has come under increasing scrutiny by regulators, Congress and airlines.