a charter flight from Rhode Island.

But he has given approval to two US tour wholesalers to run charter flights from Philadelphia and Virginia.

Apple Tours of Philadelphia will operate a charter twice a week from May 2 to November 4 next year, the Tourism Department recently announced.

And TNT/The Haley Corporation of Boston is scheduled to operate from Dulles Airport -- just outside Washington D.C. -- from April 4 to November 28.

Charters are permitted from regions that are not being served or are under served by the scheduled aircraft, the department said.

The new charter flights will mean a resumption of service from Dulles Airport which, until 1992, was served by United Airlines and additional seats from Philadelphia which is serviced by USAir.

However, the Minister turned down TNT/Haley's application to operate a charter from Providence, Rhode Island.

"I know that not all of the members of the Bermuda Hotel Association are entirely comfortable with my decision,'' Mr. Woolridge said. "However, in the final analysis, there is no escaping the simple fact that there are more than sufficient scheduled airline seats flying from New England.'' He noted that USAir, Delta and Northwest all fly from Boston. And while all three carriers had experienced "less than satisfactory load factors this year'', he said it was in the best, long-term interest of Bermuda to reject TNT/Haley's Rhode Island application.

"The department's airline policy is to encourage and support the scheduled carriers,'' Mr. Woolridge stressed. "They are the ones that fly seven days a week and in the winter. Without them we would be isolated.'' He said the department's airline policy was also considered, within the industry, to be highly successful.

"We currently have a good supply of seats from North America and we have a constructive, close working relationship with the six carriers that fly here,'' he said. "We should do nothing to jeopardise that.'' BHA president Mr. Stephen Barker could not be reached for comment.

The Hon. C.V. Woolridge