U.S. DOT APPROVES AMERICAN <AMR>-ACI <ACF> PACT The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said it gave final clearance to the proposed 225 mln dlr acquisition of AirCal Inc by American Airlines Inc. "The acquisition is not likely to substantially lessen competition or to be inconsistent with the public interest," the DOT said in a statement. AirCal is a unit of ACI Holdings Inc while American is a unit of AMR Corp. The DOT had given tentative approval to the merger plan Feb. 20. American is the third largest U.S. airline in terms of revenue passenger miles while AirCal--a relatively small carrier that primarily serves West Coast cities--is the nation's 17th largest passenger carrier. Their merger would not alter American's third-place ranking, according to data compiled by Aviation Daily, a leading industry trade magazine. The combination would incrase American's share of the U.S. market to 15.4 pct from its current 14.7 pct, the DOT said. The DOT said the merger was unlikely to substantially reduce competition on the four routes on which both carriers provide either nonstop or single-plane service. At 13 of the 14 terminals served by both carriers, the DOT said it found no evidence that other carriers could not increase or begin service that competed with a merged American-AirCal. Concerning the 14th, "While entry may not be possible at the Orange County Airport in the near future, DOT found that the service provided at other airports in the Los Angeles area, especially at the Los Angeles International Airport, will provide effective competition for Orange County travelers in long-haul markets," the DOT said. The merger would give American control of 37 pct of the authorized takeoff and landing slots at the Orange County terminal, where environmental concerns and a small terminal building limit future opportunities for expansion. The DOT said the Air Line Pilots Association filed comments opposing the merger but "raised no new facts or arguments." Under the merger terms, announced Nov. 17, American will pay 15 dlrs a share for the outstanding stock of ACI Holdings.