Airbus subsidy decision delay.

THE World Trade Organisation (WTO) has ruled on a five-year trade dispute - the biggest in its history - but its decision will not be announced for months.

The case saw the US accuse the EU of handing out illegal subsidies to Airbus, and many analysts expect the WTO to have backed its argument.

The WTO, which has been deliberating on the case for five years, would only confirm that it had handed the decision to US and European diplomats.

The EU has also made a counter claim against the US for its support of Boeing. A ruling on the EU's claim against the US is due in the next six to eight months.

Experts say the WTO's decision will set the boundaries for acceptable government funding in civil aviation. Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Partners, said there was a still a long way to go before the saga ended.

"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 believes that Boeing and Airbus have to find terms so that they can work together based on what the WTO rules.

Louis Gallois, the chief executive of Airbus's parent company EADS, said before the decision that he believed the company had a "very good case".

CAPTION(S):

D-DAY The World Trade Organisation's ruling on EU subsidies to Airbus is still under wraps.