AN IRISH aviation firm has opened a new centre in Belfast, creating 124 jobs.
Eirtech Aviation Services, a manufacturing, repair and overhaul business based in Shannon airport, has opened a new multi-million pound facility on the Queen's Road in the city - its first venture into the Northern Ireland market.
The company's new 'UK Composite Repair Centre' will offer the repair and overhaul of composite components on commercial aircraft such as flight controls, nacelles, wing to body faring and overhead bins. The major investment is set to create 124 jobs over the next four years and contribute over £4.3m annually in wages to the Northern Ireland economy.
CEO of Eirtech Aviation Composites, David Kerr said the new Belfast office is part of the company's long-term strategy post-Brexit.
“This Belfast facility is part of our strategy to future proof the business, ensuring we have access to the Great Britain marketplace post-Brexit. The first phase of recruitment is complete and we will adding to this consistently over the next four years as we scale the business to meet the needs of our customers globally.”
"The growing use of composite materials in aircraft manufacture creates a huge market opportunity for us in the global aviation sector. Northern Ireland has an abundance of people with world-class manufacturing capabilitiesm a strong aerospace cluster and renowned expertise in composites at NIACE (The Northern Ireland Advanced Composites' and Engineering Centre) and Ulster University, making it an ideal location for our UK Composite Repair Centre," he added.
In support of the new facility Invest NI has offered £992,000 towards the new jobs. Invest NI, CEO, Alastair Hamilton welcomed the new addition to the "vibrant" local aerospace industry
“Northern Ireland is a global leader in aerospace technology and this investment by Eirtech adds a welcome new dynamic to our vibrant aerospace industry,"he said.
“The advanced aerospace design and manufacturing capabilities built up over many years has created a strong talent pool, which was a major draw in securing this project.”
Founded in 2009, Eirtech Aviation Services (EAS) is a world-leading specialist aviation services company providing tailor made engineering services, advanced composite repair services, and asset management solutions that ensure regulatory compliance to international airlines, private operators and aviation leasing companies across the globe.
