Investment will propel plant to forefront of aviation

ANALYSIS:Belfast will have the opportunity to design and produce the aircraft wings of the future, writes Francess McDonnell

THERE IS a sense of history in the air at Bombardier's facility in east Belfast. The factory, affectionately known in the North as Shorts, celebrates a century of aviation history this year thanks to its connection with founders - Eustace, Oswald and Horace Short.

The aviation pioneers first opened their factory in Queen's Island in 1936 and there has been aircraft-related production on the site ever since.

Memories of the past sit easily with the technology of the future in Shorts. A new £500 million investment by its parent group is set to propel the plant into completely different territory - it is going to design and manufacture advanced composite wings for a new generation of jets.

But the legacy of Short's aviation achievements will also play a part in its future. The Belfast factory has been involved in many aviation firsts throughout the decades from ground- breaking all metal aircraft, such as the Silver Streak, to the development of flying boats that led to the creation of long- distance routes. Canadian mid-sized jet manufacturer Bombardier acquired Shorts from the British government in 1989 and since then the company has enjoyed mixed fortunes.

Two years ago, following the downtown in the global aviation sector as a result of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the US, Shorts axed more than 600 jobs, but Shorts remains as important to the Northern Ireland economy today as it was in the 1930s.

It produces about 10 per cent of the North's manufacturing exports and is the largest manufacturing employer.

Shorts most recently won the contract to design and build the wings for the new C series family of aircraft against stiff competition from other members of the Bombardier family.

The final deal to secure the aircraft programme for Northern Ireland was struck during the US/Northern Ireland Investment conference earlier this year in Belfast.

Intense negotiations took place over a three-day period against the backdrop of sunny skies and an overwhelming optimism about Northern Ireland's economic prospects.

Nobody who visits the Belfast factory at the Queen's Island location can fail to appreciate the legacy of the Short Brothers - dreams took shape there.

Michael Ryan, the vice- president and general manager of Bombardier's Belfast plant, says the opportunity to take part in the C series programme now represents the future for Shorts.

"There was intense competition within the group to secure the contract to design and build the wings. We have worked hard in Belfast to develop the skills, we have invested in research and technology and we have developed the knowledge which helped us to secure this work.

"This is quite a significant development for us because it gives Belfast a strategic role for the future.

"We have traditionally been a centre of excellence with regards to the production of aircraft fuselages and the development of advanced composites. This new contract allows us to move into the area of wing production."

According to Mr Ryan, this creates a chance to move higher up the value chain and become a significant player in the substrate sector over the next 100 years.

"It is significant for us that we have secured this investment and won this work in the centenary year - it gives Belfast the opportunity to design and produce the aircraft wings of the future - this is the first programme of this nature and it positions us well for future opportunities in the future.

"No one should under estimate how important the C series is for Belfast - it sustains jobs and guarantees a future," Mr Ryan said.