What does the ruling mean for Airbus future aircraft development?
Technically, the WTO’s ruling doesn’t address how Airbus’ A350 XWB midsize, wide-body jet now in development will be funded. But in reality, the whole U.S.-Boeing vs. EU-Airbus dispute always has been about how Airbus will fund its next new aircraft, which will compete against Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner, which is mostly made of composites, is expected to enter commercial service early next year. The A350 XWB, also of mostly composites design, won’t enter service until at least 2013. Aircraft analyst Richard Aboulafia says that “if Europe wants to fund (the A350 XWB) they’ll find a way to fund it, no matter what the WTO says.” He says the U.S. will seek to stop that, which the Europeans may hope leads to a negotiated settlement.
