Belfast aerospace firm clinches £350m order

Aerospace company Bombardier has won a major order just days after announcing it was to recruit more than 300 staff in Belfast, it was revealed today.

The company said US airline SkyWest had placed a firm order worth over £350m (€493m) for 18 of its CRJ700 and four of its CRJ900 ’NextGen’ regional jets.

The Belfast plant is responsible for the design and manufacture of the fuselage, engine nacelles and wing components of both aircraft.

The contract also includes options for a further 22 aircraft.

SkyWest and its subsidiaries is the world’s largest operator of the Bombardier range of CRJ aircraft. It operates 363, including 244 CRJ200, 102 CRJ700 and 17 CRJ900 – but the order is the airline’s first for the NextGen improved aircraft.

“We are very excited to have SkyWest become the 12th customer to select the CRJ NextGen aircraft since the programme was launched in May 2007,” said Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Regional Aircraft.

It was announced last week that because of an upturn in orders for Bombardier’s range of regional jets it was to recruit an extra 330 workers in Belfast.