AIRCRAFT MAKER Bombardier, which employs 5,000 people in Northern Ireland, has secured the sale of 15 of its CRJ1000 aircrafts to the Spanish regional airline, Air Nostrum.
Bombardier had announced in February 2007 that it had received a conditional offer for the aircrafts by an unidentified customer. Yesterday’s announcement confirmed that the sale is taking place, with delivery of the aircraft to commence in 2014 and continue throughout 2016.
Although the Belfast plant is responsible for the design and manufacture of most of the aircraft, the deal will have no specific impact on jobs there. The company says yesterday’s announcement will “have no impact on the reduction in manpower announced earlier this year”.
The Canadian-owned company, which is Northern Ireland’s biggest manufacturer, announced 1,000 redundancies in April.
More than 400 employees work on the design and manufacture of this aircraft at the Belfast plant. Director of communications and public affairs Alec McRitchie said that, while the sale will help to “sustain” staffing levels, it will not create any new jobs.
“We very much welcome the order by Air Nostrum in the current difficult economic climate . . . It will help us to maintain current manpower levels, which are under constant review.”
The 100-seater CRJ1000, which is aimed at the regional airline market, is in the testing and production stage.
Yesterday’s sale to Air Nostrum is estimated to be worth about $793 million and was announced at the Paris Air Show.
Qatar Airways ordered 24 aircraft from Airbus as the world’s largest air show opened yesterday, the Gulf carrier flexing its financial muscles as many recession-hit rivals struggle to find funds.
Airbus and US rival Boeing face their worst year in more than a decade as many airlines, hit by slowing demand and tight credit conditions, look to cancel or defer aircraft orders.
Qatar’s $1.9 billion deal for A320 and A321 single-aisle airliners will double its medium-haul fleet but chief executive Akbar Al Baker stopped short of announcing a foray into the budget airline sector.
This year’s air show is expected to fall far short of the clamour of orders at the biennial event two years ago when Airbus and Boeing took their order backlogs to record levels. Airlines have roughly $800 billion of planes on order following the order boom. (Additional reporting: Reuters)
