Alliance East Belfast MLA Chris Lyttle has expressed his deep concern after Bombardier announced it would be cutting around 600 jobs from its Belfast plant.

The company said 400 direct employees and around 200 agency workers would be made redundant due to ‘interruptions and challenges’ from the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Lyttle said the news would have a major impact, both in his constituency and further afield.

“This is devastating news and my thoughts are with those workers affected,” he said.

“It is a particular blow for the supply chain relying on Bombardier and it makes clear the aviation industry is under immense pressure, as illustrated by last week’s news about the major losses at Thompson Aero Seating in Portadown.

“It has been a difficult few years for Bombardier and the COVID-19 pandemic has now added to that. I urge Bombardier to do everything they can to mitigate against these job losses and retain as many workers as possible. My Alliance colleagues and I will be meeting with the company urgently and encouraging them to do just that.

“It is important to reiterate Bombardier workers in Northern Ireland are highly skilled and this news is a consequence of global factors, with no reflection on them. Bombardier has a long heritage in East Belfast and Northern Ireland, and despite this devastating news, I am confident it will retain that key role in future.”