Brazil bank may loan $700M to Argentine airline

Brazil's national development bank is looking to loan up to $700 million to Argentina's national airline to buy Brazilian-made planes.

A spokesman with the development bank says Aerolineas Argentinas requested the loan and the bank is studying it.

But the spokesman _ who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter _ said nothing is finalized.

The airline would use the money to buy planes from Embraer.

The jet maker recently laid off 4,200 employees _ 20 percent of its work force.