German govt looking into loan guarantees for Air Berlin

The German govt is examining a request for loan guarantees from loss-making Air Berlin, the Economy Ministry said Wednesday. "We are looking into this application for a guarantee along with the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin," a ministry spokeswoman said. She added that presenting a "sustainable concept for the future" was key to getting such a guarantee. Air Berlin's CE Thomas Winkelmann said Wednesday it was a "confidential figure" when asked for details of the airline's request for loan guarantees from the two German states. "We're not looking for any kind of taxpayers' money. We don't want to be state-owned. As management, we look at every opportunity over how to restructure the company, and that includes restructuring the debt," he said. <br/>