Airbus has finalised a deal to take over part of the Spirit AeroSystems operation in Belfast. The deal was first announced in July last year as part of a wider break up of the Spirit business. The transaction also includes Airbus work packages at the Spirit factory at Prestwick in Scotland.

The future of more than 2,000 Northern Ireland aerospace jobs is uncertain following the confirmation that French aircraft manufacturer Airbus will buy only part of the Spirit AeroSystems operation in Belfast.

Airbus finalised an agreement on Monday to take over some plants from Spirit AeroSystems in a carve-up of the struggling supplier with rival Boeing , as unions voiced fears over thousands of jobs in Northern Ireland and Scotland.