The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing is selling a large part of its digital services division to investment firm Thoma Bravo for $10.55 billion (approximately €9.2 billion). The company announced this on Tuesday from its headquarters in Arlington.
The sale includes key parts of the Digital Aviation Solutions division, including Jeppesen, Foreflight, AerData, and OzRunways – names that play a significant role in flight planning, navigation, and aviation data. With this move, Boeing aims to focus more on its core activities in commercial and military aviation.
However, parts of the division that focus on specific aircraft and fleet data will remain with Boeing. According to the company, these are essential to continue supporting customers with maintenance, diagnostics, and repairs of their aircraft.
CEO Kelly Ortberg calls the sale a strategic decision to strengthen the company financially and refocus on its core business: building and maintaining aircraft. “This step helps us improve our balance sheet and better meet the needs of our core customers,” said Ortberg.
Boeing has been struggling with heavy financial headwinds for years, partly due to two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX and a series of technical issues and delivery delays. The company has now reported losses for six consecutive years. Analysts expect that 2025 will also not be a profitable year for the American aviation giant.
With the billions raised from the sale, Boeing hopes to create some stability and regain trust from customers, investors, and regulators.