Northern Ireland engineering set for take-off at Paris Air Show

Those who aspire to owning a business aircraft will get a chance at the Paris Air Show, which begins tomorrow, to see how Bombardier’s Belfast operation is helping the rich and famous get airborne.

The company will showcase Northern Irish engineering and innovation skills in a number of its industry-leading aircraft at the show this week.

One of them, the Global 6000, is "purpose-built to fulfil the desires of the most sophisticated and demanding business travellers without compromise", according to Bombardier.

The company is responsible for a range of parts on the aircraft, including the forward fuselage, engine nacelles and wing slats.

Bombardier, Northern Ireland’s largest manufacturing employer, is one of 16 companies from the North taking part in the show.

Others include Portadown-based JW Kane Precision Engineering, which employs 55 people and is participating in the Paris event for the first time.

According to Tracy Meharg from Northern Ireland's regional development agency Invest NI, aerospace is a rapidly growing and "high value" industry in the North's economy.

“Global demand for 27,000 new passenger aircraft and 40,000 new helicopters is estimated to be worth almost $4 trillion by 2030, so there is enormous scope for our local companies to continue to lead supply-chain innovation and play a major role in contributing to the delivery of this new business,” she added.