AIRLINES

Machinists Approve Pact With United: Machinists for United Airlines have overwhelmingly approved a new five-year labor contract with the air carrier, a union spokesman said. The contract was approved by 80% of the union members voting, said Machinists union spokesman Dennis Hitchcock. The union has 27,000 members working for United. Tentative agreement on the contract was reached Dec. 13, avoiding a strike that could have crippled United during the year’s busiest traveling time. The union had been working on a contract extension for two years. Details of the contract, which runs through November, 1994, were not released.