 Airbus believes it has a "very good case" |
The World Trade Organization (WTO) will rule later on the biggest trade dispute in its history - between aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.
The US has accused the EU of handing out illegal subsidies to Airbus, and the WTO is widely expected to agree.
However, the EU has made a counter claim against the US for its support of Boeing. A ruling on that claim is due in the next six to eight months.
The WTO's ruling will come after five years of deliberations.
The three-member panel will release their findings to the parties involved, but they will not be made public.
Louis Gallois, the chief executive of Airbus's parent company EADS, has said he believes the company has a "very good case".
Experts say the WTO's decision will set the boundaries for acceptable government funding in civil aviation.
But Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners, said there was still a long way to go in the saga.
"This whole WTO process is going to last four to five years. It's going to be 2013 at least before we get a final settlement on this," he said.
He added that Boeing and Airbus have to find terms so that they can work together based on what the WTO actually rules.
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