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Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\nAirbus says it expects its takeover of part of the Spirit AeroSystems operation in Belfast to be completed by the end of the year.<\/p>\n The deal was announced in July as part of a wider break up of the Spirit business.<\/p>\n Spirit is Northern Ireland\u2019s most significant manufacturing employer, with about 3,500 staff.<\/p>\n Last month trade unions raised concerns about the progress of the deal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Airbus is taking control of the part of the Belfast operation which makes wings and fuselage for its A220 jet.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s chief financial officer, Thomas Toepfer, expects the deal to be finalised soon.<\/p>\n “We have signed a binding term sheet and a quite detailed binding term sheet with Spirit,” he told industry analysts this week.<\/p>\n “Nevertheless, we have to get to a formal signing of a contract and that is where we currently are. We\u2019re expecting that to happen before the end of the year.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The completion of the deal will still leave uncertainty for the staff who work in the non-Airbus part of the Belfast business.<\/p>\n That part of the business mostly involves work on a range of Bombardier business jets.<\/p>\n Spirit\u2019s wider global business is being carved up between Boeing and Airbus, the world\u2019s largest aircraft manufacturers.<\/p>\n Spirt was founded in 2005 when part of Boeing\u2019s business was spun off as a separate company.<\/p>\n The break up deal was initiated by Boeing which wants to bring Spirit back in house as part of its efforts to tackle manufacturing problems.<\/p>\n Aside from the Belfast operation Airbus will also take control of two Spirit factories in the US, one in France and one in Morocco.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nUncertainty for some staff<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n