Japan Airlines (JAL) has secured emergency loans of about $1 billion from a group of banks, including two state-backed lenders, to help it through the economic crisis, reports said today.
JAL, Asia's largest carrier, will receive loans of 100 billion yen ($1.05 billion), of which about 60 billion yen will be provided by the Development Bank of Japan, Jiji Press reported.
The remainder will be lent by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp and Mizuho Corporate Bank, Jiji said. The airline declined to confirm or deny the report.
Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said last week that JAL would receive a loan from the Development Bank but he did not say how much.
The global economic downturn has dealt a heavy blow to JAL's efforts to recover from a long period of financial turbulence stretching back to its privatisation more than two decades ago.
JAL has forecast a net loss of 63 billion yen for the financial year that started in April, which would be its second straight year in the red.
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