A JetBlue Airways executive on an early visit to Bermuda in preparation for the start of the low fare airline?s arrival this May has spoken in glowing terms of his first impressions of the Island.

And JetBlue?s Todd Burke has also paid tribute to the professionalism and passion shown by the Island?s Tourism Department that finally convinced the company to start a twice-daily service to Bermuda.

From May 4 one-way flights starting at $129 are set to usher in a new era for travel to and from North America.

Mr. Burke, who is JetBlue?s vice-president of corporate communications, has already seen for himself the impact the company?s imminent arrival is having on competing air carriers who already fly the same route.

The price of booking a ticket with one of the established major airlines drops by hundreds of dollars the same day that JetBlue makes its appearance on the Island.

That is the kind of impact Tourism Minister Dr. Ewart Brown has sought for a number of years, and the Deputy Premier?s tenacity in pursuing the airline to convince it to help make the Bermuda route competitive has left a favourable impression with JetBlue, according to Mr. Burke.

?Everyone at JetBlue smiles when we hear Dr. Brown. He has been a gentleman to work with, but persistent in his efforts to get JetBlue here. He was always saying ?You?ve got to bring JetBlue to Bermuda?,? said Mr. Burke.

Having spent a couple of days scouting out the Island, being looked after by the Fairmont Hotels group, he said: ?There is a tremendous amount of pride in Bermuda from its people. Rarely have I met a group of people who have so much pride in their homeland.

?It is immaculately clean. It?s like a bit or Europe or England in a tropical setting and it feels like a second home. I?ve been able to walk up to a complete stranger in the street and have a friendly conversation and I?m telling the team back at the office that I can?t wait for them to come out here.?

Mr. Burke has been impressed by the friendliness of the taxi drivers and, from a professional point of view, can see marketing potential for luring visitors to the Island for weekend breaks to enjoy some golf in a warm climate without having to worry about a lengthy flight.

The JetBlue executive said the purchase of 101 new Embraer 190 aircraft had opened up the possibility of the airline flying a twice-daily schedule to Bermuda.

The aircraft has 100 seats giving flexibility with scheduling and presenting less worries about having to fly a potentially loss-making flight as can happen with larger capacity aircraft when carrying only a half-full complement of passengers.

?The Embraer makes us more nimble and able to add extra capacity if we need,? said Mr. Burke.

He said it was unusual for JetBlue to go straight into the launch of a new destination service with two daily flights, as it is doing with Bermuda, but this will continue if Bermudians and North American customers embrace the new service.

The first flight from New York?s JFK is expected to land shortly before midday on May 4.