Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has welcomed Bombardier’s announcement that the assembly of the test airframe for Bombardier CSeries aircraft is well under way.

Bombardier in Belfast designs and produces the advanced composite wings for the CSeries aircraft. The wings are now being mated to the test airframe that will be used during the Complete Airframe Static Test.

Bombardier is investing over �520million on the CSeries programme in Northern Ireland and the UK Government is supporting this through a combination of repayable investment and grants.

It is expected that the project will generate over 800 new jobs within the company and many more in the supply chain in Northern Ireland and across Europe.

'This is a significant milestone in the CSeries project, the largest ever inward investment project undertaken in Northern Ireland,' said Foster.

'This particular project brings major benefits in terms of taking the company’s technological capabilities to a new level as well as bringing opportunities to the company’s supply chain in Northern Ireland and across the UK. The quality of the wings fabricated in Belfast is testament to the ingenuity, determination and pride of Bombardier’s team in Belfast and they represent a major proportion of the new CSeries aircraft programme. Invest Northern Ireland continue to work closely with the Bombardier Aerospace teams in Belfast and Montreal to maximise the wider economic impact of its aircraft programmes here. I wish the company continued success and welcome the contribution their investments are making to Northern Ireland’s prosperity.'