WASHINGTON — Federal officials said yesterday they will beef up inspection of pilot training programs at regional airlines in response to safety concerns raised by the crash of a regional airliner in New York in February.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Aviation Administrator Randy Babbitt said in a statement they will also hold a meeting with the airline industry — both regional and major carriers — next week to seek better pilot training, cockpit discipline and other safety improvements.

Babbitt said it was clear from the crash of a regional airliner near Buffalo, N.Y., on Feb. 12 that safety needs to be improved.

"My goal is to make sure that the entire industry, from large commercial carriers to smaller regional operators, is meeting our safety standard," Babbitt said in a statement.

James May, president of the Air Transport Association, which represents large airlines, called the meeting "an important step." He compared it to a government-industry collaboration two years ago to reduce dangerous runway incidents.

BANKS CLEARED TO RETURN $68B IN BAILOUT MONEY

WASHINGTON — Ten of the nation's largest banks were given the green light yesterday to repay $68 billion in government bailout money, freeing them from restrictions on executive compensation that they say are making it hard to keep their top-performing executives.

The Treasury Department said the banks had been approved to repay the money they received from the Troubled Asset Relief Program created by Congress in October at the height of the financial crisis. Experts say allowing 10 banks to return $68 billion in bailout money shows some stability has returned to the system but caution that the crisis isn't over. And some fear the repayments could widen the gap between healthy and weak banks.

CRUDE PASSES $70 A BARREL BUT GASOLINE PRICES FLATTEN

HOUSTON — While crude settled above $70 a barrel for the first time this year, gasoline prices failed to rise overnight for the first time in 42 days, signaling a possible break for motorists as summer driving shifts into high gear.

Benchmark crude for July delivery rose $1.92 to close at $70.01 a barrel in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, hitting a new annual high of $70.18 during the afternoon. Prices continued to rise in electronic trading after the market closed.

Yesterday, the government joined several banks that have revised their price expectations upward for the year. The Energy Department also raised its full-year price outlook for gasoline.