Eastern Airlines’ loan default may be lifted soon.

The technical default on $2.5 billion in loans may be lifted in a few weeks since tentative labor accords have been reached with the carrier’s three labor unions, an airline spokesman said. Final agreements must be signed before the firm’s 60 lenders, including some overseas financial institutions, will vote to approve such clearance. A Jan. 31 deadline, set by the banks for Eastern and its unions to reach new labor contracts linked to potential profitability, was passed and the Miami-based company technically went into default. Last Friday, agreements in principle were reached with Eastern’s 12,000 machinists, the carrier’s largest union, and flight attendants. One day earlier unionized pilots tentatively agreed to a contract.