weeks in business as the Island's only dedicated air cargo business.

The service is already packing up to 50,000 pounds of freight on its once-a-week flights out of Tampa and has significantly increased its volume of customers.

Vice president of operations Mr. William Forbes said the company is now working on increasing its customer base. He said they have a small percentage of customers who import large volumes of goods, but need several small volume customers.

Mr. Forbes, who runs the Bermuda end of the business with Mr. Brian Foster, said BACL expects to increase its load to approximately 75,000 pounds of freight by the end of the next two months. That would leave the business just 5,000 pounds short of the total capacity of their chartered DC-8 jet.

Already, the company is considering adding a second flight. In that circumstance, Mr. Forbes said: "We would use smaller aircraft and reduce the volume on each flight but maintain the weekly volume.'' He said that would help BACL attract more business.

Mr. Forbes also said that while BACL is for now strictly in the cargo business, it is available for one-off passenger charters. "We are not looking to get into the passenger business,'' he said. "We will do ad hoc charters, and we have had some interest from a Florida wholesale travel agent.'' The company operated its first flight on May 12, exactly one week after British Airways, which had been bringing perishables into Bermuda on a regular basis, stopped its flight from to and from Tampa.

After its fourth flight this past Tuesday, Mr. Forbes said business is going very well. He said total volume now is "enough to keep (the business) alive'', but added it is right in line with what was projected in the company's business plan.

"This week we actually increased the number of our customers,'' he said.

"The few major customers we have are our bread and butter, but we have to widen our customer base in order to increase our yield.

"Our business relies on a wide number of people using us occasionally. We need several hundred customers who order in modest quantities once or twice a month. That will produce the high yield in our business.'' Mr. Forbes, who has spent more than 20 years in the airline business, said his role initially was to make a smooth transition to BACL's operations for importers who had been using British Airways.

"I think the fact that we started the process a week later is tantamount to the cooperation we have received from everyone,'' Mr. Forbes said."We have had some teething problems. We have had 90-minute delays out of Tampa but I can only thank ASB (Aircraft Services Bermuda) for excellent service in getting the airline cleared and turned around so quickly.'' BACL charters aircraft from Arrow Air Inc. of Miami Florida, and carries mostly fresh meat, vegetables and fruit to the Island.

Mr. Forbes noted there is increasing demand for the transport of electronics, electrical goods, clothing, building supplies, computers, cassette tapes, compact discs, and large cargo such as electrical generation equipment, boats, cars, heavy machinery and livestock. The company is transporting its first horse to Florida next week.

The charter service is also available for air ambulance and other specialty services.

The company's reservation office is run by Air General Inc. at the Tampa International Airport.

BACL's Miami partner is Mr. Dale Niven, president of Bay City Farms in Tampa, which is a major supplier of fresh produce to Bermuda.