Van Tine advances: FedEx continues to oppose nominee for No. 2 spot at DOT; full Senate to vote. (US Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Kirk Van Tine).(Washington)

Opponents of deputy transportation secretary nominee Kirk Van Tine aren't going away.

Even after a Senate committee's approval of the nomination, critics kept up a drumbeat of opposition aimed at keeping Van Tine from taking the No. 2 post at the Department of Transportation.

FedEx is the only company to publicly voice its opposition to Van Tine, who served for two years as DOT's general counsel until he stepped down in October. Some carriers have sent letters of support but several major commercial airlines remained on the sidelines offering no public comment on a nomination that has raised unusually heated statements for a regulatory position.

"There's a big deafening silence from a certain segment of the industry in terms of voicing support," FedEx spokeswoman Kristin S. Krause said. "I think that it's not over. I think that there's still a lot of work to be done. We're certainly talking to everyone involved in the nomination process about it."

The battle pits a powerful …