Senators urge regulators to let Virgin America start operations

“Two U.S. Senators urged federal regulators to approve Virgin America Inc.’s application to fly, saying the airline will benefit consumers and the economy. Senators Dianne Feinstein, D-California, and John Ensign, R-Nevada, said the U.S. Department of Transportation should approve Virgin America’s application to ‘encourage more competition in the airline industry.’ Virgin America, based in Burlingame, wants to provide low-cost domestic flights like Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp. The DOT tentatively rejected Virgin America’s application last December, citing concerns that its corporate structure did not adhere to laws limiting foreign involvement in U.S. airlines. British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson conceived of the airline and his company is a financial backer.”