US wants to ease global airline ownership rules

The ownership rules have thwarted some deals in the past and the new plan would likely ease consolidation among network carriers by giving them border-free access to capital, said Daniel Petree, dean of the College of Business at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla.

"Based on market forces, competitiveness and quality, it makes sense to ... closely mirror capital flows in and out of other industries," Petree said.

A spokesman for the International Air Transport Association said the trade group supported the proposal as an incremental step.

"This is a global industry that needs to be run like a global business," said Steve Lott. "It makes no sense that consolidation is limited to domestic partners."

Earlier Tuesday, Byerly addressed the European Aviation Club in Brussels before the second stage of U.S.-European Union air transport liberalization talks start Thursday in Slovenia.

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AP Writer Jan Silva in Brussels contributed to this report.