Bombardier's NI ops sold to US firm

Aircraft manufacturer Bombardier's Northern Ireland operations have been sold to US firm Spirit AeroSystems.

Bombardier employs more than 3,500 people in Northern Ireland, primarily in East Belfast.

The Canadian-owned multi-national is re-organising its business to focus on business aircraft and trains.

Kansas-based Spirit supplies Boeing and Airbus plane manufacturers.

The wings for the Airbus A220 are made at Bombardier's Belfast plant.

The overall deal including the US and Morocco acquisitions is worth $630m.

Michael Ryan, chief operations officer Aerostructures at Bombardier Aviation, said: "Through this agreement with Bombardier, we are delighted that Spirit, a global, tier-one aerostructure manufacturer and supplier, has recognised our unique offering and growth potential.

"We look forward to an exciting future ahead.

"We are immensely grateful to Bombardier for 30 years of development and investment in Belfast, and more recently in Casablanca and Dallas, enabling us to advance our capabilities and skills to world-class levels."

Susan Fitzgerald, Unite regional coordinating officer, said the workers and the skills base they possess are world class and offer any prospective owner a huge platform for future growth.

She said: "Unite welcomes this announcement and hopes that it will be followed up by investment for growth in the future.

"Such investment would be good news for the workers and would secure a future at the forefront of the aerospace manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland.''

CBI Northern Ireland Director, Angela McGowan, added:

“As Belfast’s largest manufacturing company and world-class aerospace operation, this announcement will be positive news for its workforce and local communities.

“Spirit’s commitment to growing Bombardier’s Belfast-based business over the long-term and supporting the Northern Irish economy is warmly welcome. The CBI looks forward to seeing Spirit AeroSystems build on the success of the Belfast site."

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