Bombardier CSeries: Belfast plant 'safe after Quebec bailout'

Bombardier has spent £520m on a new factory in Belfast to build wings for the CSeries

The manager of Bombardier's Northern Ireland operation has said the Canadian bailout of the firm's CSeries project poses no threat to the Belfast plant.

Michael Ryan made the comments in an interview with the Bloomberg financial news service.

In October, the Quebec state government pumped $1bn (£655m) into a partnership set up to complete the CSeries.

The wings for the CSeries are made in Northern Ireland.

"The quid pro quo was that final assembly and marketing would stay in Quebec, but that was all," Mr Ryan said.

The CSeries will employ at least 800 people in Belfast at full production, out of 5,500 in total.

Mr Ryan told Bloomberg that the Northern Ireland plant had skills in composite manufacturing that made it a world leader in wing production, safeguarding its status.

The development of the narrow-bodied CSeries passenger plane has placed a major strain on Bombardier's finances.

The project has been repeatedly delayed, is over-budget and orders have been slow.