"We do want them to honor what our conversation was, which is this just a stopping off point for the check. It goes to the airline and directly to the employee," Pelosi told reporters. A major aviation union and some airline officials are concerned the U.S. Treasury will demand too much in warrants or equity as a condition of the grants for airline payroll costs.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)