KILKEEL based plane seat maker B/E Aerospace has been bought by US company Rockwell Collins as part of a $8.3 billion (£6.8bn) deal.
The firm employs around 800 people at its south Down plant making seats for the world's leading aeroplane manufacturers.
The seats made in Kilkeel form just part of B/E Aerospace's in-cabin products made at its operations across the world.
The deal will add significantly to the portfolio of Rockwell Collins which specialises in flight control systems and cabin connectivity.
Rockwell Collins chief executive Kelly Ortberg said: “B/E Aerospace has a leading position in nearly all the segments it serves and a highly visible, long-cycle backlog."
SDLP MP Margaret Ritchie said she had made "urgent representations" to economy minister Simon Hamilton "to ensure that the jobs at Kilkeel B/E Aerospace are protected in the wake of the sale of the company".
"The people of Kilkeel and the surrounding areas have the innate skills to carry out the work in the Kilkeel aerospace factory, which manufactures aircraft interiors and other parts," she said.
"These jobs need to be sustained, and I have re-iterated this message to the economy minister.”
