The presence of two major aerospace employers in Northern Ireland following a split of manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems could be a good thing for the industry, it’s been claimed.

Today (28th) it was announced that Airbus has finalised arrangements to take over parts of the city’s Spirit AeroSystems operation that build fuselage for the airline giant. The move should save around 800 jobs at the factory – but there’s no word on what will happen to large sections of the business that handle contracts for other companies.

Europe’s Airbus has finalized an agreement to take some assets from Spirit AeroSystems, both companies said Monday, completing a critical part of a transatlantic carve-up of the struggling supplier with US rival Boeing.