Boeing to Sell Parts of Digital Aviation Unit in $10.5 Billion Deal with Thoma Bravo

Boeing announced Tuesday that it will sell a significant portion of its Digital Aviation Solutions business to private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $10.55 billion in cash.

The move is part of a broader strategy by the aerospace manufacturer to streamline operations and strengthen its financial position.

The agreement includes the sale of four businesses: Jeppesen, a provider of navigational charts and flight information; ForeFlight, a widely used flight planning and weather monitoring app; AerData; and OzRunways. These businesses, while not central to Boeing’s aircraft manufacturing, play key roles in aviation software and services.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year, pending regulatory approvals. Thoma Bravo, a technology-focused investment firm with $179 billion in assets under management, sees the acquisition as an opportunity to expand into aviation software, a sector it views as offering stable, license-like revenue streams.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who took the helm in August 2024, has prioritized focusing the company on its core business of aircraft manufacturing and defense systems. In a statement, Ortberg said:

“[The sale is] an important component of our strategy to focus on core businesses, supplement the balance sheet, and prioritize the investment-grade credit rating.”

Boeing has faced significant challenges in recent years, including safety and quality concerns following two fatal 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, and more recently, a mid-air panel detachment incident on a 737 Max flight in January 2024. Although no one was seriously injured, the event renewed public scrutiny of Boeing’s production standards. The company has also contended with labor disruptions, including a two-month strike that halted 737 Max production last fall.

Despite these setbacks, Boeing resumed limited production of the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner in early 2025. However, current output remains below pre-incident targets, with about 20 Max jets and 5 Dreamliners produced monthly. Boeing still holds a backlog of approximately 5,500 commercial aircraft orders.

The digital aviation unit being sold employs roughly 3,900 people, although Boeing said some parts of the unit will remain in-house. The company, which had about 172,000 employees at the beginning of the year, will retain core digital tools that support maintenance, diagnostics, and repair services for both commercial and defense customers.

With input from the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the Financial Times.