AIRLINES

Rivals Blast British Air Bid for USAir: The chief executives of four major U.S. airlines say British Airways’ bid to buy an interest in USAir threatens U.S. jobs and the survival of the nation’s airline industry. The heads of United, American and Delta airlines and the cargo airline, Federal Express, said the proposed deal--allowing British Air to buy 21% of USAir’s voting stock for $750 million--would give British Air unlimited access to U.S. markets. Existing agreements between the United States and Britain, meanwhile, would prevent U.S. carriers from getting equal access to British markets, the executives said. They called on the Transportation Department to liberalize the U.S.-U.K. aviation relationship as a precondition to the British Air deal.