Two U.S. senators have urged federal regulators to approve Virgin America's application to fly, saying the new low-cost airline will benefit consumers and the economy, a report said Thursday.

In a letter made public Thursday, Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and John Ensign of Nevada said the U.S. Department of Transportation should approve the new airline's application to " encourage more competition in the airline industry," according to the San Francisco Business Times.

The senators' letter dated Feb. 28 to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said that airline fares rose 9 percent last year in the United States, the largest price increase in 25 years.

Virgin America, based in San Francisco, wants to provide low- cost domestic flights like Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

The U.S. government tentatively rejected Virgin America's application last December, citing concerns that its corporate structure did not adhere to laws limiting foreign involvement in U. S. airlines. British billionaire Richard Branson conceived of the airline and his Virgin Group is a major investor.

The senators urged the Department of Transportation to rule on Virgin America soon after the airline made several changes to its corporate structure in recent months.

Virgin America executives said the airline's first flights will be between San Francisco and New York City, and other routes, including to Las Vegas, could come shortly after.

Source: Xinhua