US and EU in row over funding aviation firms

THE US and the EU started a multi-billion euro transatlantic trade war yesterday, alleging unfair subsidies for Europe’s Airbus and America’s Boeing, two aviation industry giants.

US trade authorities fired the first volley, saying they were filing a complaint against the European Union to the World Trade Organisation, contesting what they regard as unfair subsidies provided to aircraft company Airbus by European governments.

The European Union quickly retaliated, filing its own complaint to the WTO, challenging “massive subsidies” for Boeing.