Cross-Border High Flyers Look To Hamburg For Trade

Six Irish companies are taking part in a major aircarft industry exhibition in Germany this week.

They are on an Invest Northern Ireland stand at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, the world's biggest exhibition for airline equipment and outfitting.

Hoping for new business at the Hamburg Messe event are five Northern Ireland aerospace companies and one from the Republic of Ireland, Bellurgan Aerospace of Dundalk, which makes machined components for seating

Bellurgan is taking part under an agreement between Invest NI and Enterprise Ireland which enables companies in Northern Ireland and the Republic to join trade initiatives of both agencies.

The companies are also being assisted in generating leads and arranging meetings by Invest NI's Trade office in Dusseldorf, which will also be providing services such as logistics and translation.

The expo is expected to attract senior procurement staff from over 200 global airlines as well as around 19,000 trade visitors from other aerospace manufacturers and service operations.

Commenting on Aircraft Interiors, Michael Polson, Invest NI's Aerospace Client Manager, said: "The exhibition is an essential showcase of new products and technologies for cabin interiors, a sector in which we have a cluster of successful companies, especially in the design and manufacture of seating for commercial aircraft. Indeed Northern Ireland - Kilkeel, Co Down in particular - is a globally recognised centre of excellence in aircraft seating.

"Aerospace engineering remains one of our most important and globally integrated industries with a heritage stretching back to the dawn of aviation.

"It embraces both the design and manufacture of both civilian and military aircraft. Today Northern Ireland is a significant supplier to many of the most important aircraft programmes of Bombardier, Boeing and Airbus," he said.

Visiting the show for the first time are two Portadown engineering companies - Blue Eagle Precision and Springco.

Base, Belfast, and Denroy Plastics, Bangor both have significant business with aerospace manufacturers such as European Airbus, Bombardier and BAE Systems, while Kilkeel's Thompson Aero Seating has developed seating solutions for major airlines.

Aircraft Interiors Expo is the largest dedicated aircraft interiors event in the world and will see companies exhibiting the full spectrum of technologies and products for airline constructors and operators.

(BMcC/JM)