would resume its Mid-west flight next year.

The airline confirmed the move yesterday after speculation that poor seat sales on the St. Louis route might lead it to drop the flight after just one season in operation. Last night, a TWA spokesman said: "We are resuming operations in May, 2001.'' The news came after Tourism Minister David Allen revealed that the service would finish its inaugural season five weeks earlier than originally planned.

The twice-weekly flight will end on September 18, rather than the intended mid-October close date.

And it came after Shadow Tourism Minister David Dodwell told MPs on Friday that the flight could be scrapped because of poor sales since its launch in May.

Yesterday, in response to written questions about the future of the service, Tourism Minister David Allen said: "TWA have now initiated discussions with our airline consultants in the United States concerning renewing the service during the 2001 season.'' He added that the airline had slashed the price of the fare between Bermuda and St. Louis to $198, if booked on the Internet.

The service is the Island's first new gateway flight in years, linking Bermuda with the Mid-west and West Coast.

TWA to resume flight A huge publicity effort was launched to support the service, with tourism road shows and advertising in the region.

And travel agents are promoting shopping trips to St. Louis, Missouri, in conjunction with the TWA service.

At its launch, TWA stated it would only run the route in 2001 if it was selling at least 100 of the 140 seats on each flight by the end of the season.

But the first few weeks of the service, which started in May, were a disappointment with just a handful of visitors on each flight -- and as few as six on one trip. And now, in a bid to encourage more passengers to fill the seats, travel agents are promoting packages to the Mid-west.

Gary Kent Smith, managing director of the Donald Smith Travel Connection, said it was simply a case of "use it or lose it''.

"Previous flights weren't supported to the degree the airlines needed and, if we don't use these services, we are going to lose them,'' he said.

"Airlines just can't operate just bringing people, there has to be people going back.'' The package starts at $539 plus taxes per person for a three-night stay, including flights and accommodation, based on two people travelling.