direct Raleigh to Bermuda air link that was lost when American Airlines pulled its service from the US city last year.

The Tourism Ministry announced on Friday that Midway had applied to aviation authorities in the US and Britain to provide a daily A320 Airbus service from Raleigh to the Island.

The service was intended to be seasonal initially, terminating in early December.

The airline has also filed for permission to "fly year-round in order to be able to position themselves better to take advantage of an improved business climate''.

Midway Airlines, which is making its first foray into Bermuda, is a small regional airline that is currently in the process of trying to branch out nationally and internationally.

The A320 Airbus that it intends to use on the Bermuda-Raleigh runs has a seating capacity of 148.

"We at Midway Airlines had been planning to include Bermuda in our overall service plan eventually, but it was data presented by the Bermuda Department of Tourism on past visitors, travel patterns, feeder markets and projected business as well as sales and market plans for 1996 that helped us to reach our decision as quickly as we did,'' Ms Joanne Smith, the airline's senior vice-president of sales and marketing, said in a statement.

According to Tourism Minister David Dodwell, "Midway's decision to introduce this service comes as a result of several months of discussions between Midway and the Department of Tourism''.

Tourism Director Mr. Gary Phillips added that his Department's overtures to the airline represented a desire on the part of Tourism to expand the Island's markets.

"We're constantly looking at new carriers, where we potentially have a hold,'' Mr. Phillips told The Royal Gazette .

"The Raleigh area was not only a very strong market, but also very popular with Bermudians. (The proposed Midway flight) gives everyone that added option.'' Last year, American Airlines dropped the Raleigh flights that many Bermudians took for shopping holidays in North Carolina because of financial pressures.

Midway's application to fill that gap must now await approval by the US Department of Transportation and the United Kingdom's Civil Aviation Authority.

Mr. Phillips said the approval process usually takes a month.