Questions over future funding
The Japanese government has announced it will not guarantee funding for the crisis-hit national carrier Japan Airlines (JAL), reuters reported.
Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said the state budget for the next financial year would not include any such loan guarantees.
"This is a matter that should be worked out by private companies," said Mr Fujii.
The state's refusal to act as guarantor an a loan for JAL could make future funding more difficult for the already struggling carrier.
But the state owned Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) may still come to the rescue again.
"The DBJ is wholly owned by the state but it has the status of a private bank so the government is not allowed to meddle in its business," said Mr Fujii
JAL secured an emergency loan from the DBJ in November.
The airline said the loan was "necessary for continuance" of its flights, adding that without it "an event which would interfere with our flight operations could occur".
The full amount of the loan has not been revealed by JAL, but previous reports suggested the airline needed a loan of €1.34bn (180bn yen), and that it would have run out of cash by the end of November.
JAL is also awaiting a decision from employees and former staff over a 40% cut in their pensions.
The 17,000 staff and 9,000 pensioners were told by the airline management that it faced bankruptcy if payments were not cut.
The airline's pension fund currently has a deficit of €2.49bn (JPY330bn).
A decision is expected to be announced in January.
JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu had made a plea back in May to the company's pension fund for payments to be reduced by more than half, Reuters reported.
A plan for future restructuring of the airline is also expected to be announced in January, overseen by the government's Enterprise Turnaround Initiative Corporation of Japan.
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