AIRLINES

U.S. Rejects Plea to Delay Talks With Britain: The government rejected a bid by six major airlines to delay the “open skies” aviation talks until it decides whether to allow the proposed link between American Airlines and British Airways. In a letter to President Clinton, the airlines said the United States should not go ahead with the talks until the Justice Department decides on the competitive implications of the alliance. But a Transportation Department spokesman said the U.S.-British talks will go on as planned Tuesday. U.S. authorities are studying the proposed American Airlines-British Airways linkup to see if it would stifle competition. The two big carriers now control about 60% of the U.S.-British aviation market. The six airlines are Delta, United, Continental, Northwest, Tower and Trans World Airlines. They argued that Britain’s main airport, Heathrow, is so overcrowded that any open-skies pact would be meaningless unless the other carriers were granted some of the many landing slots now used by British Airways.