LONDON (Reuters) - British business minister Nadhim Zahawi on Thursday welcomed Spirit AeroSystems' <SPR.N> purchase of Bombardier's <BBDb.TO> plant in Belfast as great news for workers and a welcome investment in the United Kingdom.
Canada's Bombardier said on Thursday it had agreed to sell its aerostructures business to Spirit for more than $700 million in cash and debt, including the Short Brothers Belfast plant which is the largest high-tech manufacturer in Northern Ireland with a workforce of around 3,500.
"I'm pleased that Spirit AeroSystems is boosting its investment in the UK," Zahawi said in a statement.
"This will be great news for Short Brothers and its highly skilled and dedicated workforce, at one of the most important aerospace facilities in the country. I look forward to seeing this successful and ambitious business continue to go from strength to strength."
(Reporting by Kate Holton, Editing by Paul Sandle)
