Airbus finalised an agreement on Monday to take over some plants from Spirit AeroSystems in a carve-up of the struggling supplier with rival Boeing , as unions voiced fears over thousands of jobs in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Airbus has finalised a deal to take over part of the Spirit AeroSystems operation in Belfast. The deal was first announced in July last year as part of a wider break up of the Spirit business. The transaction also includes Airbus work packages at the Spirit factory at Prestwick in Scotland.

Boeing announced last year a deal to acquire Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion, bringing back in house a key supplier that it had spun off in 2005.