The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has handed down its preliminary ruling in a dispute between the US and Europe
over two of the worlds biggest aircraft makers.
Boeing, backed by the US government, claimed that Airbus Industry, a division of the European defence company EADS, received an unfair boost from billions of dollars in European government financing to develop new planes.
The details of the ruling, which follows a five-year investigation, will not officially be made public for
months. But the Wall Street Journal newspaper says the WTO has ruled that European subsidies for the launch of the Airbus A380 airplane were illegal.
John Terrett reports.