Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has announced a 37,000ft workspace development at St. Angelo airport in Enniskillen.

The stand alone unit will accommodate a fixed-wing aircraft maintenance firm complementing the various helicopter maintenance facilities already available at the Airport.

The project received a contribution of £832,000 through the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the European Union's INTERREG IVA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Speaking during a visit to the site, Arlene Foster said: "The creation of this new aircraft maintenance facility has the potential to result in the creation of at least 14 high value added jobs, in the aviation, engineering and technical disciplines.

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"It will no doubt contribute to the growth of the local economy and play an important role in the long term prosperity of the area. It will also provide much needed regeneration and help to address the social and economic disadvantages experienced in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in recent years."

The project is the result of cross-border co-operation between the ten local authorities in the central border region working together through the Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN) Ltd, led by Fermanagh District Council as owners of St. Angelo Airport.

Howard Keery, Director of the Joint Technical Secretariat with the SEUPB, said: "This project has been awarded a significant level of assistance under the EU's INTERREG IVA Programme. Upon completion it will create the necessary infrastructure to enhance a valuable business sector, on a cross-border basis. This is one of the core objectives of the INTERREG IVA Programme as it has been specifically designed to encourage business competitiveness in order to develop a more dynamic economy."

(CD)