Senate Panel Backs Airline Exemption From EU Carbon Rule

A U.S. Senate panel approved legislation that would exempt Delta Air Lines Inc., American Airlines’ parent AMR Corp. and other carriers from European Union greenhouse-gas limits the companies say would cost them more than $3.1 billion by 2020.

The vote by the Senate Commerce Committee on the measure to give the U.S. Transportation secretary discretion to prohibit compliance could set up a showdown with the EU over the fees it plans to charge airlines for the pollution they produce.