US carriers National Airlines and Spirit Airlines are working on new financing plans after both had federal loan guarantee requests rejected last week by the US Air Transport Stabilization Board (ATSB). National is "in talks" with a new investor which it says is prepared to match the $50.5 million originally requested. Spirit says its finances are stable enough to continue without state aid. National, which is in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, says it is "close to making an announcement" of an unnamed investor, ahead of future bankruptcy court appearances. National's fleet of 18 leased Boeing 757s is to continue to operate in the interim. The ATSB has said that it was not confident that National could have repayed the $60 million loan.
Source: Flight International
