The case concerned Lockheed Martin's Atlas rocket

Boeing was suspended back in July 2003 after it was found to have illegally obtained documents from its key launch contract rival Lockheed Martin.

Then Boeing was found to have 25,000 pages of Lockheed's trade secrets.

The Air Force said it believed Boeing had now taken "significant action...to rectify past improprieties".

Yet at the same time it added that Boeing's suspension could be reinstated if new evidence of wrongdoing is found.

'Anxious'

Back in July 2003 the Air Force said Boeing had committed "serious and substantial violations of federal law".

In addition to the 20-month ban, Boeing was stripped of $1bn (�520m) in rocket business.

"We feel confident that we've done everything that's been expected of us to meet the conditions for lifting the suspension," said Dan Beck, a Boeing spokesman, "and we're anxious to get back into the business of meeting the launch needs of the Air Force."

Boeing still faces a Lockheed lawsuit seeking damages for the harm Lockheed says its launch business suffered as a result of the industrial espionage.