operating hours of the Bermuda International Airport.

The Department of Airport Operations (DAO) last week announced that a recent review found that 99 percent of all flights operate between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m.

at the Bermuda International Airport.

As such, beginning on September 7, the airport will shut down at 11 p.m. In the case of an after hours emergency, the DAO believes it can respond in time.

After four years of operation, the airport has often been closed for three months at a time at night while runway resurfacing is conducted.

The $315,000 savings comes with the provision of air traffic control, fire and rescue services during the early morning hours.

"We cannot recover the cost of providing these services during this time due to the low volume of operations,'' the Department announced.

"Therefore it is our intention to use our resources more efficiently by implementing a change in the airport's hours of operations without undue delay,'' it continued. "We are targeting September 7, 2000, for the implementation date.

"This does not mean that the BIA will not be able to assist with aviation emergencies that occur during the hours of closure, however.

"Experience has shown that there is time enough for Bermuda's emergency services, including airport emergency services, to respond before an aircraft, on which an emergency has occurred, is ready to land.'' The DAO reaffirmed its commitment to providing safe operations "in accordance with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation''.