week from the middle of next year.

British Airways Bermuda district manager Philip Troake said yesterday that Boeing 767s will operate six days a week from London, replacing the four flights a week now offered on the larger Boeing 777.

Announcing the airline's summer 2001 schedule for the Island, Mr. Troake said: "Starting at the beginning of June, we will operate flights six days a week from London Gatwick, using Boeing 767 aircraft.

"This change forms part of our long-term strategy of steady growth to eventual daily service.

"I feel that there's no reason why we cannot run a daily service out of Bermuda. We just need the time to develop the market and test it.'' BA adds flights The news should please tourism leaders who have long called for more flights from the UK to accommodate visitors from that market, which has shown steady growth in recent years.

The Boeing 767 has a total capacity of 178 seats and offers passengers seats in First, Club World and World Traveller cabins.

The April and May schedule will be five days a week, also on the Boeing 767.

Mr. Troake added: "The number of seats we will offer is similar to this year, but better spread through the week.

"This gives us the opportunity to test the market on frequency at less risk than doing so with the larger 777 aircraft.

"We are confident that next year's results will prove that Bermuda can support higher frequency and thus has growth potential, so that when we switch back to the 777, as we eventually will, we can justify operating on more days a week than we do now.'' The news came as BA announced it would restructure its operations at London's Gatwick airport by reducing the number of long-distance flights originating there from 43 to 25.

The airline intends to shift the focus of its Gatwick operations to serving southeastern England.

It also plans to cut 1,000 jobs over the next two years through the restructuring. Gatwick is the second-busiest airport in London after Heathrow.

BA currently flies between there and Bermuda but Mr. Troake said there would be no effect on the flight.

"We will be able to still service our transfer market. We will offer the same connecting services, they will just be much more streamlined,'' he said.