BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE will create 100 additional jobs in east Belfast due to an increase in new orders for regional and business jets.

The Canadian group, which employs more than 5,000 people in Northern Ireland, is enjoying a surge in worldwide sales. Bombardier recently clinched a new order from Swiss-based VistaJet to provide a range of jets in a deal which could be worth $1.2 billion (€763 million) for the company.

Michael Ryan, vice-president and general manager of Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast, says the North is now set to benefit from the increased demand for commercial aircraft.

Bombardier's Belfast plant specialises in the design and manufacture of aircraft fuselages and engine casings.

The company is recruiting across a range of job specialities, including engineering.

Earlier this month, Bombardier, which is this year celebrating a centenary of aviation tradition in the North, unveiled a £70 million (€88 million) investment programme for Belfast.

The investment means Northern Ireland will play a key role in the production of Bombardier's new CRJ1000 aircraft.

The Belfast division is also bidding to win a share of business from Bombardier's proposed new C-series family of 100-145 seat jets.

If it wins the contract, it would be a significant boost for the plant and could result in the creation of a substantial number of new jobs during peak production.

The upturn in the company's global business will come as a welcome relief for its Northern Ireland workforce.

Two years ago, when there was a slump in worldwide sales, more than 600 jobs were axed in the North.

Now, according to Mr Ryan, Belfast is set to play a major design and manufacturing role within the Bombardier group.