Transport Minister Ewart Brown believes Bermuda is in a prime position to attract even more air carriers to the Island.

And yesterday he was joined by Airport General Manager Jim Howes in declaring that this summer?s visitor season is ?a golden opportunity? for stakeholders in the tourism industry.

The pair echoed a chorus of experts who are predicting that 2004 will be the best season Bermuda has seen in several years following an increase in new flights scheduled to fly into the Island. Flights added to the 2004 flight schedule include services to Chicago, Orlando, and Baltimore/Washington, with several low fare airlines such as Jet Blue and USA 3000 set to bring visitors from Bermuda?s prime market, the US East Coast.

Yesterday both men said they were pleased their five year plan to promote Bermuda with US and European air carriers has begun to pay off.

Dr. Brown said his goal to bring low fare carriers to the Island was made possible by a team of aviation experts and business people who set out to convince airlines that it was more economically viable to have planes in the air on their way to the Island than on the ground.

?Research has showed us that traffic out of Florida was going by way of Atlanta. We looked at ways to put a plane on this route so we could explain to them that this is why going to Bermuda will be economically viable for you,? said Dr. Brown.

He said the first step to bringing more air carriers to the Island was to make a commitment to visit every air carrier Bermuda already had a relationship with in addition to the new low fare airlines such as Jet Blue and USA 3000.

Mr. Howes, who has more than 33 years? experience in the aviation industry as an airport manager and Navy Pilot, said Bermuda?s Airport had been advertised in the trade press read by pilots and airline executives.

?We took into consideration that fares to Bermuda are high, but we felt that they would come down if we could provide a more competitive service to Bermuda,? said Mr. Howes.

With Bermuda?s accessibility to the East Coast, Mr. Howes said he and Dr. Brown hoped to lure even more air carriers to link Bermuda directly with an airport in Western Europe. He also hoped to establish a direct Miami service through American Airlines starting next spring.

Although he is cautiously optimistic about trends in the travel business, Dr. Brown said people had been bitten with the travel bug once again and post-September 11 fears of flying were beginning to dissipate.

?It makes me feel good that we have pulled off a team effort,? he said. ?I?m fortunate as a Minister to have many talented people working for me to do a very good job. I?ve always said that Bermuda can be sold because it?s close to the US and it?s safe and easy.?

Mr. Howes said he was pleased to be working with Dr. Brown and welcomed the opportunity to continue marketing Bermuda as a destination for airlines. ?It?s a great pleasure for me to be working with a great individual who is dynamic and innovative and encourages innovation by his staff. In aviation terms, it allows us to spread our wings.?