American, Continental Get Pension Help in Bill

U.S. senators reached an agreement on airline pension legislation that would extend assistance to two more carriers, American Airlines and Continental Airlines Inc., Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said.

The bill would give Delta Air Lines Inc. and Northwest Airlines Corp. 14 years to make pension payments otherwise due in a few years. The “leniency” would be extended to Continental and AMR Corp.’s American under the bill, Grassley said.