drenched in the rain.

Officials will visit two North American airports later this year to get ideas for permanent covered walkways connecting plane passengers with the terminal.

And the temporary cover now being used at Bermuda International Airport will be consigned to back-up status, because it is damaged too easily in high winds. Work is already underway to repair the temporary canopy after it was torn in recent gales.

Passengers arriving in Bermuda at the weekend had to walk into the terminal unsheltered from pouring rain.

But Jack Gordon, General Manager of Airport Operations, said officials were considering building three permanent canopies.

He added: "At some stage, we are looking at putting up some type of covering between the actual terminal and the steps of the aircraft.

"We have had some preliminary looks at two different types of canopy but they have to be at ground level and be able to withstand extreme weather conditions. We have had the temporary cover repaired twice and we have found that it is not quite substantial enough.

"It is now being strengthened down at the NATO hangar and we will still use it in future but probably only as a back-up.'' Mr. Gordon added that technicians would visit Montreal International Airport later this year, where a Swedish firm has installed one of the walkways.

The airport is also in talks with a Texas-based firm who have developed another model and Mr. Gordon said a visit would also be planned to a second airport for on-site checks.