Boeing Company has been ordered to pay former customer ICO Global Communications Ltd. US$631 million in damages, after a California court approved a jury verdict against the Chicago-based aerospace company.

The Los Angeles Superior Court backed a jury's decision in October to award US$371 million in compensatory damages, and US$236 million punitive damages, plus prejudgement interest as well as 10 percent interest on the full judgment as of January 2, according to ICO. The lawsuit filed by ICO stems from the Company's decade-old plan to launch a fleet of satellites that would broadcast video and other services to mobile device users around the world. ICO filed a lawsuit in 2004 seeking US$2 billion in damages against Boeing for breach of contract and fraud. No word yet from Boeing regarding this judgment.