By Ruth Mantell, MarketWat= Virgin America offers concessions to DOT=0A=0A=0ABy Ruth Mantell, MarketWat= ch=0ALast Update: 8:23 PM ET Jan 17, 2007=0A=0ASAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) = -- Looking to overcome foreign-ownership related objections from the Depart= ment of Transportation, Virgin America on Wednesday said the power of the U= nited Kingdom's Virgin Group has been tamped.=0AAmong other moves, Virgin G= roup has dropped a seat on Virgin America's board, and now holds two of the= eight voting seats. Also, Virgin Group has agreed to put all of its voting= shares in a voting trust with a DOT-approved U.S. trustee.=0A GET QUOTES= =0A Enter one or more symbols=0A =0A=0AQuotes delayed up to 20 Minut= es=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A Top MarketWatch=0A Headlines=0A=0ALam Research prof= it more than doubles=0A=0ACORRECT: Lam Research profit more than doubles=0A= =0AStocks edge higher; Angiotech ruling boosts shares=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A"= Our investors have made key changes to the company that we feel demonstrabl= y address DOT's concerns so that we can get our airline up and flying as so= on as possible," said Fred Reid, chief executive of Virgin America, in a st= atement.=0AVirgin America is 25% owned by Virgin Group, with the remainder = controlled by U.S. investors Black Canyon Capital and Cyrus Capital Partner= s. =0ALate last month, the DOT tentatively denied Virgin America's applicat= ion, indicating that the proposed low-fare airline would have to increase i= ts U.S. ownership before launching. See full story. The airline, which is l= ooking to launch domestic service early in 2007 and would base its operatio= ns at San Francisco International Airport, was given 14 calendar days to fi= le an objection. =0AWednesday evening, Virgin America reiterated its belief= that its structure complies with U.S. law.=0A"The airline is, and will rem= ain, a U.S.-owned and controlled company that meets all U.S. citizenship re= quirements," according to a statement.=0AOther changes include Virgin Group= agreeing to relax certain trademark license terms to demonstrate that Virg= in America is free to fly with or without the Virgin brand name, and giving= up veto or consent rights regarding various aspects of Virgin America's op= erations.=0AAlso, Cyrus Capital and Black Canyon, will limit investors to o= nly U.S. citizens, and Virgin America's U.S. investors have agreed to inves= t another $20 million in the airline.=0AAlso, Virgin America's board would = go as far as removing Reid -- tapped in 2005 to be CEO -- if the DOT requir= es that step.=0A=0ARuth Mantell is a MarketWatch reporter based in San Fran= cisco.