Friday's ruling reflects the world as it existed five years ago when the United States brought the case against the European Union, arguing that such subsidies were unfair trading practices.
But since then, the deep global recession has led to hundreds of billions of dollars in government subsidies and intervention in nearly all the world's major economies, including big government ownership stakes in banks, and auto and insurance companies.
Furthermore, other countries, including China, Japan and Brazil, are busy expanding or developing their domestic airline industries.
At issue is a 1,000-page confidential ruling that was given to U.S. and European trade officials. It was not released yet, and officials were under instructions not to speak publicly.
Still, lawmakers from Washington state and other U.S. states where Chicago-headquartered Boeing has a major presence were briefed by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Friday.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who led efforts in 2004 to get the Bush administration to initiate the WTO case, said the ruling "confirms that Boeing has been competing on an uneven playing field for decades."
Friday's decision confirms that "all Airbus aircraft have received illegal subsidies and that these have caused material harm to Boeing," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash.
Neither Boeing nor Airbus would comment on the ruling publicly, nor would U.S. or E.U. trade officials.
However, European officials who were briefed had a somewhat different take on the ruling than American lawmakers, suggesting that it was more of a mixed bag and that many of the complaints lodged by the U.S. had been dismissed and the government loans to Airbus were in some instances deemed a permissible form of financing.
