More than 350 jobs are being axed at Belfast Aerospace firm Shorts and a County Antrim manufacturing plant which is to close.

Shorts is shedding 240 workers, taking the total number of redundancies in the pipeline at Northern Ireland's biggest employer to 700.

And County Antrim manufacturing plant Getty Connections is to close its Carrickfergus operation at the end of the year with the loss of 135 jobs.

The job cuts at Shorts are in addition to the 460 jobs which the east Belfast firm said earlier this month would be axed before the end of the year.

Falling sales

Those cuts resulted from the downturn in the aerospace industry following the 11 September attacks last year, the company said.

At that time, the firm warned of 2,000 job losses by next January.

The fall-off in work has also resulted in a slowing in demand for its small business aircraft.

Getty Connections managers said they regretted decision

In a statement on Friday, vice-president and general manager, Bombardier Aerospace Northern Ireland, Michael Ryan, said the job losses were regretted.

"Due to the continuing challenges in the aviation market, particularly the business aircraft market, the cuts are necessary in order to protect the remaining jobs and maintain our competitiveness," he said.

"Belfast is a core part of Bombardier's aerospace business.

"We are ensuring that a strong integrated design and manufacturing capability is retained here in order to maintain our competitiveness and to be ready for the upturn in the market when it comes."

Figures released last month showed profits and sales at Shorts fell last year. While its profits dipped only slightly at �55m in the year to January, sales were down by 10% at �450m.

During the last year, Shorts - which had a workforce of 6,500 at its height - has cut its workforce by about 1,000.

However, its Canadian parent company Bombardier has relatively healthy order books.

Continuous operating losses would make it unlikely that a viable business could be sustained

Brian Getty Getty Connections

In July, Bombardier announced it was building part of its new corporate jet at Shorts.

Meanwhile, Getty Connections in Carrickfergus said it is to close "dramatic decline" in sales as a result of the downturn in the technology sector.

Founded in 1988, the company manufactures cable and electrical wiring.

Managing director Brian Getty said there was unlikely to be any significant turn-around in the company's main markets.

"Continuous operating losses would make it unlikely that a viable business could be sustained," he said.

"The company deeply regrets the situation and would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation to our employees, customers and suppliers."

The firm is to begin a 90-day consultation period during which it will explore any alternative to the closure.

'Huge blow'

East Antrim Ulster Unionist Assemblyman Roy Beggs said closure news was "hugely disappointing".

"This is a further set back to the East Antrim area, which has suffered heavily as a result of the decline of the international telecommunications industry.

"The Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Enterprise must work together to provide all possible help and assistance to those who may be made redundant.

"I have been pressing the Stormont Executive, and Invest NI to focus on East Antrim as a priority area for attracting new industry."