between Tampa and Bermuda in less three weeks.

The company providing the service, Bermuda Air Charters Limited, is still in the incorporation process.

But its three partners say they have already secured a charter plane to take over the Tampa-Bermuda cargo route they say will be left behind when British Airways stops flying to Tampa on May 5.

Bermuda partners are Mr. William Forbes, who is currently the managing director of Bermuda Business Machines, and former Police officer Mr. Brian Foster, who owns a business called Laser Sports. Mr. Forbes, who worked as general manager of the Bermuda office of Pan American World Airways for several years before joining Bermuda Business Machines last year, is currently in Miami working on plans.

The two have been negotiating with a third partner in Miami, Mr. Dale Niven, who is understood to be a major supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables to the Bermuda market. He owns Bay City Farms in Tampa.

It is understood the venture will be financed one-third by each partner, but Mr. Foster would not estimate how much money is needed for the venture to go ahead.

The company is to fly a Boeing-707 aircraft, with capacity for 85,000 pounds of cargo, to Bermuda from Tampa every Tuesday, beginning May 12. It is not clear what the rate structure, but Mr. Foster said it would be comparable to that of British Airways.

He also said flight would arrive during afternoon working hours, giving Bermuda importers time to pick up goods, store them overnight in chill rooms, and have them ready for distribution the following morning.

The three are still in talks to develop an outbound cargo service from Bermuda to the Miami area, rather than have the flight return to Tampa without any load.

Mr. Foster said the plan got underway a few weeks ago when Mr. Niven feared he would lose business when British Airways pulled out. British Airways has promised to continue to fly cargo from Florida, only it would have to be trucked to Orlando, flown to London, and then back to Bermuda.

Mr. Foster said a charter service is the only alternative for getting fresh produce to Bermuda from Florida while it is still fresh. The flight is approximately three hours. Mr. Foster said produce includes perishables like fruits, vegetables, fish, meats, and added that cargo will also include pets and pet products, live fish, plants, flowers, and possibly construction materials.

But the plan is expected to be seen as competition with British Airways for cargo. BA has been flying to Tampa via Bermuda from London since 1987, and it is understood that cargo has on occasion been trucked to Orlando when the Tampa flights have been too full to accept cargo. BA flies twice daily to Orlando and twice daily to Miami from London. There are two BA flights a week to Bermuda from London's Gatwick International Airport.

British Airways public affairs officer Mrs. Sallie Singleton declined to comment on the venture.

There have been at least two other attempts to launch charter services to fly freight to Bermuda from the US over the past ten years.