U.S. SAYS USAIR &lt;U> MAY BUY 51 PCT OF PIEDMONT

  The Department of Transportation
  said it will allow USAIR Group to acquire up to 51 pct of
  Piedmont Aviation &lt;PIE> voting stocks pending final approval of
  the proposed merger of the two airlines.
      The agency said the stock would have to be held in a voting
  trust controlled by an independent trustee.
      An agency spokesman said that if USAIR, which has proposed
  to buy all of Piedmont shares, controls more than 51 pct of the
  firm's outstanding stock, it will have one week to sell those
  excess shares.
      USAIR asked the Department of Transporation earlier this
  month to approve a voting trust.
      An agency spokesman said this is a device that airlines use
  to get majority control of a company it is trying to acquire
  while their application before the government is pending
  approval.
      The spokesman said the firm had asked the transporation
  agency permission to buy all of Piedmont's voting stock, the
  but agency decided to give approval for 51 pct of shares.
      The spokesman said agency action on the proposed merger
  application could take as long as six months.
  

