More than 200 extra staff are to be recruited at an aviation industry firm in Co Tyrone.

Mallaghan Engineering in Dungannon makes ground support equipment such as baggage conveyors and stairs for commercial aircraft.

The company is developing an airport bus as part of a multimillion-pound investment which is predicted to require 210 new staff over five years.

Ronan Mallaghan, CEO of Mallaghan Engineering, said: “Mallaghan is one of the fastest-growing airport ground support equipment manufacturers worldwide and this expansion is designed to help secure the future growth of our business.

“Working with Invest NI has enabled us to accelerate our investment plans, ensuring we have the manufacturing capacity and capabilities to build on our share of the high lift market.

“We aim to further grow our market share of the global aviation industry and will be actively targeting opportunities in the US and China.

“Expanding our product offering to include our airport bus is an exciting new direction for us which we hope will contribute to export sales from early 2019.”

Invest Northern Ireland chief executive Alastair Hamilton said the productivity boosting capital equipment and extensions to Mallaghan’s factory space will help the company satisfy growing demand worldwide.

He said: “We are pleased to be able to support Mallaghan to implement measures that will help significantly expand its customer base and boost export sales.

“The company’s focus on innovation, leadership training and skills development will ensure that its workforce has the depth and breadth of skills and also the technology to help Mallaghan realise its growth ambitions.”

Mallaghan designs, manufactures and supplies ground support equipment for the global aviation industry.

It includes high lift trucks for catering and cleaning as well as de-icing rigs, water and waste trucks, baggage conveyors and passenger stairs.

The firm has been offered more than £3 million of Invest NI support towards its research and development, capital and skills investments.