Trade union leaders and Northern Ireland Assembly Ministers will lobby British Airways to reconsider its decision to cut six daily services between Belfast and London Heathrow.

Mr Alan Black, the GMB's national organiser for airline workers in the UK, is expected to fly into Northern Ireland next week to begin intensive negotiations with British Airways to safeguard some of the 160 jobs threatened by the route closure.

British Airways staff in Northern Ireland had approached senior management with measures designed to help the firm cut costs just days before its decision on the London to Belfast routes.

Staff at Belfast International Airport had offered to take voluntary cuts in working hours, unpaid holiday leave and be flexible to route changes in order to protect their jobs long term.

According to Ms Beverly Coomber, the GMB trade union representative with British Airways, the airline's staff had expected services cuts but are angry that the airline plans to pull out of Belfast International Airport.

"We want to work together with management to save as many jobs as we can but we are stunned and shocked by the decision.

"We have had huge support from passengers who want British Airways to continue the service and we hope this support will help us in our negotiations," Ms Coomber said. Mr David Burnside, the Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim, yesterday held talks with senior management at Belfast International Airport and British Airways staff in the North.

He is hopeful that another airline will take over the Belfast to Heathrow route.

Meanwhile, negotiations have begun between trade union representatives and Bombardier Aerospace in Belfast, which last week warned that up to 2,000 jobs could be under threat because of the slowdown in the aviation sector following the atrocities in the US.

Mr Kevin McAdam, regional officer with the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union, said workers hoped that the contact would assist in reaching some middle ground with the aerospace group.