On that front, the mayor scored quite a coup from American Airlines, which essentially financed the entire project by paying off bonds originally floated by New York City's Industrial Development Agency.

FORBES: American's Big Apple Bet

Mr Kingon added that Northern Ireland's business sector and the new economic development agency Invest Northern Ireland - being created to replaced the small business funder LEDU and the Industrial Development Board - faced a difficult year.

BBC: 'Challenges ahead' for NI economy