15 June 2009

NI Takes Off At Paris Air Show

Seven local companies are aiming for take-off this week.

They are exhibiting at the Paris International Air Show in a group backed by Invest Northern Ireland.

Two companies, Blue Eagle Precision Engineering, Portadown, and Williams Industrial Services, Newtownabbey, are attending the event for the first time.

Four of the Northern Ireland companies already have significant business with international aerospace companies including Airbus and Bombardier and will be seeking to develop new contracts during the show.

The four are Base Group, the Dundonald design and stress analysis consultancy, and three engineering companies, Maydown Precision in Londonderry, Huddleston Engineering, Greyabbey, and Moyola Precision, Castledawson.

Bombardier Customer Services will be showing its support for the aerospace industry in Northern Ireland by its participation on the Invest NI stand.

The main Bombardier aerospace group will have a separate pavilion and a number of aircraft, including the Global Express, Learjet 60 and Challenger business jets and the Q400 turboprop airliner, on static display.

Bombardier will also be updating existing and potential airline customers and suppliers on current developments in the next generation C-Series regional jet.

Northern Ireland expertise will also be displayed on several other stands including Thales, Goodrich and Martin-Baker, the parent company of Crumlin's Langford Lodge Engineering, which is the global leader in ejection seats.

Invest NI Chief Executive, Alastair Hamilton, said: "Aerospace is a vitally important industry for Northern Ireland.

"Areas of expertise here include aerostructures, such as fuselages, wings, flight control surfaces and nacelles, advanced composite materials, avionics, safety systems, seating, aircraft interiors, stress and fatigue analysis, and missiles.

"We have a comprehensive infrastructure of suppliers, particularly in precision engineering, and research centres of aerospace excellence at our two world class universities," he said.

"Northern Ireland has a dynamic, technology-led and growing aerospace industry that is both internationally and locally integrated.

"Soundly based on a rich resource of skills, experience and knowledge, aerospace is now one of Northern Ireland's most technologically advanced and internationally focused industries, and one with immense growth potential," he added.

The Northern Ireland group will be taking part in an extensive programme of networking events on new aerospace technologies and opportunities at the show, which, this year, is celebrating its centenary.

At the show, which is expected to attract over 150,000 trade buyers, around 2,000 exhibitors from 48 countries will display a broad range of products and expert services for the global aerospace industry including aircraft, engines, avionics, interiors and defence systems in six huge halls at the Le Bourget airport complex.

(BMcC/JM)