The Spirit AeroSystems 500 000 ft² facility in Kinston will manufacture the composite centre fuselage upper and lower shells (Section 15) and front wing spar for the Airbus A350 XWB aircraft. Design work has been underway for approximately two years, and manufacturing will begin immediately.

Spirit won a contract with Airbus in May 2008 to design and produce the A350 XWB's composite fuselage structure, known as Section 15, which will be approximately 65 ft long, 20 ft wide and weigh nearly 9000 lbs.

The company also will produce the front spar for the aircraft's wings at Kinston. The spar is a wing structure made of nearly 100% composite material, weighs more than 2000 lbs, and is approximately 105 ft long.

Fuselage components designed and manufactured in North Carolina will be shipped to Spirit's new facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, and assembled, before being transported to Airbus as 'Section 15.' The front spar will be shipped to Spirit's UK operations in Prestwick, Scotland, for integration into the wing leading edges before being shipped to Airbus for final assembly.

Based in Wichita, Kansas, USA, Spirit AeroSystems is an independent supplier of commercial aircraft assemblies and components.