Bombardier cuts 300 Belfast jobs

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Plane and train-maker Bombardier is cutting 300 jobs at its Belfast factory, as its aerospace division responds to a decline in global sales.

Overall, 1,340 jobs will be cut worldwide with losses at sister factories in Montreal and Kansas.

The Canadian firm said the reduction represented 4.5% of the employees at its plane-making business.

A Bombardier spokeswoman said the 300 job losses in Belfast would come from its 900 subcontracted workers.

She added that the jobs would go "within the next few months".

The 5,300 permanent staff at the Belfast facility will not be affected.

Falling sales

Bombardier said it expects aircraft sales to fall 10% this year as airlines cancel orders in response to falling passenger numbers as the global economic slowdown continues.

The fundamentals of Bombardier Aerospace are solid, but we expect we will face more challenges this year." The industry is experiencing strong turbulence, and we anticipate more volatility in the short term

The firm specialises in small and medium-sized aircraft for regional markets, and is perhaps best known for its Learjet executive plane.

"The industry is experiencing strong turbulence, and we anticipate more volatility in the short term," said Bombardier Aerospace chief operating officer Guy Hachey.

"The fundamentals of Bombardier Aerospace are solid, but we expect we will face more challenges this year."