The Development Bank of Japan and three other major banks are in the final stages of providing around ¥100 billion in syndicate loans to struggling Japan Airlines Corp. as early as this month, sources said Wednesday.

The government-backed development bank is likely to contribute the largest amount, several dozen billion yen. The other lenders are Mizuho Corporate Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.

JAL has already asked for about ¥200 billion from the DBJ under a government lending program aimed primarily at large financially strapped corporations. Syndicate loans are believed to be part of the request.

Expecting to remain in the red for two straight years, JAL wants to use the syndicate loans for bridge financing to continue its operations and to pay for imminent redemption of bonds and long-term debt, the sources said.

While the banks are studying whether to provide the remaining loans, they will likely ask the troubled airline to outline a new restructuring program that includes additional cost reductions, the sources said.

Hit hard by the decline in business travel demand amid the global recession, JAL's operating revenue dropped 12.5 percent to ¥1.95 trillion in fiscal 2008.

It recently announced it will cut 1,200 jobs by the end of this business year and aims to reduce annual expenses by ¥53 billion.