Part of the Belfast facility that makes A220 wings and mid-fuselage for Airbus is to become Airbus Belfast, with the rest of Spirit’s sites transferring to Boeing.
The business was formerly known as Short Brothers and was later taken over by Canadian company Bombardier before a sale to Spirit AeroSystems in 2020.
Boeing said its Belfast sites will operate as an independent subsidiary branded as Short Brothers, a Boeing Company.
Two of the world’s largest aircraft firms have sought for more than a year to complete a complicated deal to transfer ownership of Spirit AeroSystems and split up a number of sites around the world.
Airbus intends to continue plans begun by Spirit AeroSystems to expand parts of the Belfast site, as they seek to ramp-up production of the A220 wings which are manufactured there.
As part of the deal, Airbus and Boeing will jointly use one of the sites in Belfast.
Jerome Blandin, head of wing operations for Airbus commercial aircraft said: “Airbus has completed the acquisition of key work packages in Belfast and Prestwick, reinforcing our long-term commitment to the UK’s aerospace sector and strengthening the resilience of the supply chain.
“In Belfast, Airbus welcomes around 1,600 employees, delivering crucial work packages in A220 composite wing and mid-fuselage which are critical to Airbus’ production ramp-up.
“Our goal is to provide a best-in-class environment for our operations, investing in the facilities, people and systems to make Belfast our centre of excellence for the A220 wing. The non-Airbus operations in Belfast have transferred to Boeing.”
We still need to understand the shape of the business once it is acquired
With expanded production comes speculation about expanded employment at the site. However, Mr Blandin stressed Airbus could not share specific figures when it comes to new jobs.
“As we are looking to ramp up the volume of units we will be producing at the sites, naturally we will be looking at some more recruitment in the future. In the short-term, we’ve already started to do some waves of recruitment in the area.
“We still need to understand the shape of the business once it is acquired and we will refine our plans,” he said.
Northern Ireland economy minister Caoimhe Archibald said the presence of Boeing and Airbus is a strong endorsement of the region’s engineering excellence.
“This reflects confidence in our skilled workforce and reinforces the north’s position as a global hub for aerospace innovation,” she said.
Kieran Donoghue, chief executive of economic development agency Invest NI, added: “I am delighted to welcome Airbus and Boeing to Northern Ireland – two of the world’s leading aerospace primes.”
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