£180m to be invested in NI aircraft development

The British government has agreed to invest £180m (€264m) in the development of new aircraft which will create new jobs in Northern Ireland.

The deal signed with Canadian firm Bombardier Aerospace that could see parts of the new C-Series of aircraft built at its plant in Belfast.

Bombardier’s board of directors has yet to approve the development of the aircraft, but should the move go ahead, it could create 1,700 jobs at Shorts in Belfast and more than 1,000 more in support services.

Belfast had been in competition with Bombardier factories in Montreal and Toronto in the race to secure the main share of the construction work on the C-Series.