Belfast City Airport was put up for sale today by its Canadian owners Bombardier.
The company, which acquired the airport when it bought Belfast aircraft company Shorts in 1989, said it was "no longer seen as a core part of Bombardier's business".
Bombardier said a number of parties had expressed an interest in acquiring the airport and believed a sale could be done by the end of the year. Bombardier gave no indication of who was interested in buying the regional airport, nor what price they expected to realise.
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The company has invested heavily in the City Airport, on the eastern edge of Belfast, and spent £28 million sterling on a new terminal and other facilities which opened last year.
Bombardier said that while there would be a change of ownership "the airport will continue to operate and to develop its position as a fundamental part of Northern Ireland's transport infrastructure".
Belfast City has been open for commercial air traffic since 1983. The news of the sale came days after the company announced plans to shed another 461 workers at Shorts because of the post-September 11th downturn in the aircraft industry.
The company insisted it remained "fully committed" to its aerospace and manufacturing operation in Northern Ireland.
PA