Boeing asks US to intervene over record EU loan to Airbus

Both sides won partial victories in a 17-year battle at the World Trade Organization over mutual claims of aircraft subsidies that led to a wave of transatlantic tariffs hitting other industries, before agreeing a five-year truce in 2021.

The truce, which was set to expire on July 6, has been extended indefinitely as both sides draw back from a renewed trade war in aerospace.

Boeing's concerns about the EU loan to Airbus could also be raised in talks on foreign jet imports, a U.S. official told Reuters. European sources say similar loans were cleared in the WTO dispute.

The EIB said it finances thousands of companies every year and denied offering Airbus any unusual support.

"This is a normal loan, carrying interest, part of the EIB's overall financing activity," a spokesperson said.

Airbus and Boeing declined comment. The USTR and European Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The request comes as Airbus has been talking about the development of a new plane as early as 2030, potentially kickstarting a new wave of competition in the global jet market. Boeing noted that this is the same year in which Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has said Airbus plans to begin development of an A320neo successor.

Boeing asked the USTR to request a "full accounting of the terms of this loan" from the EU and to explain why it was compatible with the 2021 truce agreement, which called for an "open and transparent process".

Boeing noted that the announcement, which included an initial tranche of €1 billion, came just four days after the EU adopted the decision to extend the standstill agreement.