Discussions with two of the UK's top airlines on the possibility of increasing service to Bermuda have been "positive", according to Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown.

And further attempts to increase airline competition in Bermuda in order to drive down air fares are encouraging overall, he added.

Dr. Brown recently returned from a trip to the U.K. with Premier Jennifer Smith and several other Government Ministers for the Biennial Bermuda Seminar on Sustainable Development, where took advantage of the opportunity to speak with both British Airways and Virgin Air.

"I believe we have a very strong market of people who fly to and from Bermuda and the UK," he said.

"I had very meaningful discussions with Rod Eddington, the CEO of British Airways and Barry Humphries, the Vice President of Virgin Air," said Dr. Brown.

"Mr. Eddington and I discussed two issues. The first was British Airways increasing their service to Bermuda and the second was the possibility of them flying to other points of Europe from Bermuda.

"The response was positive from both initiatives and we will have follow-up discussions before the middle of the year."

Based on those discussions, he is hopeful British Airways will increase its service to Bermuda to a daily basis.

He said his talks with Virgin Air centred on that airline's serious considerations to enter the Bermuda market.

"In the upcoming months, there is going to be a major push in Europe and Britain for Bermuda to be seen as an attractive travel destination for vacation and business," he said.

"So the more carriers we have travelling to the Island from that region can only be seen as beneficial for the airline carriers and for the travelling customer."

Dr. Brown also updated on negotiations with Jet Blue, a start-up airline which has so far concentrated service in the Northeast US, West Coast US, and Florida.

Dr. Brown is hopeful discussions with the carrier, which was the first to install cameras in its planes to enable pilots to watch what was happening in the passenger cabins, will move to the next level early this year.

"We are still trying to finalise plans for the CEO of Jet Blue, David Neeleman, to come and visit the Island," he said.

"Jet Blue has remained open and receptive in our discussions, and we are hoping to bring Mr. Neeleman down here by mid-year."

In light of the recent addition of a direct flight to Bermuda from Boston by US Airways, Dr. Brown said he is encouraged by the prospect of expanding airline service to Bermuda.

"It is the Government's ultimate goal to make air travel to and from Bermuda as cost effective as possible," he said.