Airbus 'committing a lot of cash' to Belfast operation

Airbus is "committing a lot of cash" to its recently acquired Belfast operation, according to the company's chief executive.

Airbus finalised a deal to buy part of the Spirit Aerosystems facility in east Belfast in December 2025.

Rival manufacturer Boeing also bought some of Spirit's Belfast assets and now employs the majority of the 3,500 staff at the site.

Guillaume Faury told BBC News NI the additional spending was to support increased production of the A220 passenger jet.

The wings and part of the fuselage of the Airbus A220 are manufactured in Belfast.

Faury said the Belfast operation, which employs around 1,000 people, would have to show it could be competitive.

"We want to ensure the competitiveness of Belfast. We're committing a lot of cash this year, to grow and to support the production ramp-up of Belfast," he said.

"It's very important to be successful on the ramp-up, to be with a high level of quality, and to be competitive.

"That's what we want for Belfast, but we count as well on the employees and the management of Belfast to contribute to the A220 and to be with a front foot forward to contribute to a good program."

Faury repeated that Airbus is considering building a "stretch" version of the A220.

The current A220 has a maximum passenger capacity of 160 seats while a "stretched" model could take that closer to 200.