Bombardier is putting its Belfast operation up for sale, putting thousands of jobs at risk at a time of Brexit uncertainty.
The Canadian aircraft manufacturer employs about 3,600 people across several locations in Northern Ireland, all of which it aims to sell alongside its Morocco aerostructures business.
In a statement, Bombardier announced the 'strategic formation of Bombardier Aviation, consolidating all aerospace assets into a single, streamlined and fully integrated business'.
'Our sites in Belfast and Morocco have seen a significant increase in work from other global customers in recent years.
'We are recognised as a global leader in aerostructures, with unique end-to-end capabilities - through design and development, testing and manufacture, to after-market support.
'But our management team will continue to drive ongoing transformation initiatives to improve productivity and increase our competitiveness, to give more weight to our unique value proposition to potential buyers.'
The firm made aeroplane wings in Belfast and has recently purchased a similar operation in the US.
Potential buyers may well be put off by uncertainty around Brexit and tariffs, with Airbus already voicing concerns of the situation.
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