The Finance Ministry decided last night to provide the State's backing for special bank loans to be extended to Israir and Arkia airlines, in order to ensure that the two Israeli companies will be given credit by the banks.
Channel 13 News reported that the government has expressed its willingness to back loans of up to 100 million shekels to each of the companies, extending this government safety net to these companies at the potential expense of other companies whose loans the government is backing, in the event that Arkia and/or Israir defaults.