air-worthiness of aircraft.

United Kingdom authorities want to take over the job, it was revealed yesterday.

The issue will be high on the agenda when Transport Minister the Hon. Maxwell Burgess flies to the UK tomorrow for meetings with British shipping and aviation officials.

Private planes, like ships, can be registered in Bermuda although they may be based elsewhere.

The Minister and Government House are not giving details of the UK's interest in the issue.

Mr. Burgess said Britain had expressed "some concern'' about management of the Island's aircraft registry, but to decline to comment further. Deputy Governor Mr. John Kelly would only say: "Mr. Burgess will discuss with the UK Civil Aviation Authority their interest in carrying out air-worthiness surveys and certification of aircraft on the Bermuda register on behalf of the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation.'' Other hot topics will be discussed when Mr. Burgess and his Parliamentary Secretary, Sen. Larry Scott, visit UK officials at the invitation of the British Government.

They will visit the Department of Transport and the House of Commons in London, the Registrar General of Seamen and Shipping in the Welsh capital of Cardiff, HM Coastguard in Southampton and the Civil Aviation Authority at Gatwick airport.

London officials they will meet include Mr. Mark Lennox-Boyd, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office responsible for Bermuda.

A Department of Transport spokesman in London said other subjects to be discussed during the visit would include bare-boat chartering of ships, private car insurance, transport security, flights to Bermuda, air links to Europe, and air-sea rescue.

The Bermuda Government's plans to set up a separate authority to run the airport would also be discussed, the spokesman said.

Mr. Burgess's talks are also expected to cover the future of the Airport after the US Navy has withdrawn.

He will be meeting officials from the airport company BAA, which has transformed terminals like Gatwick by turning sections of them into shopping malls.

BAA has told the Bermuda Government that if the Island's Airport is eventually sold off, they would consider taking it over.