Budget airline USA 3000 has applied to run a thrice-weekly flight from Philadelphia to Bermuda from February 11.

It will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays leaving Philadelphia at 4.10 p.m. and getting to Bermuda at 7.10 p.m. Return flights would leave at 8.10 p.m. and arrive at 9.30 p.m.

The company also plan to increase flights from Baltimore to Bermuda from twice to three times a week. From December 15 it will operate flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Making the announcement, Transport and Tourism Minster Ewart Brown said: "We are very happy when this kind of thing happens as it gets us closer and closer to our goal of lower fares to and from Bermuda."

He said demand was coming from visitors and residents.

The frequency of flights to Bermuda and the number of destinations have increased over recent months.

But Dr. Brown said the Island wasn't experiencing greater numbers of visitors but the same number of visitors were spread over more flights.

He said the extra capacity put Bermuda in a good position to increase numbers.

"We have not yet seen the impact of the low fares in terms of our numbers," he said.

"I think next year will be a fair time to say discount fares have made a difference. They have already made a difference in Bermudians going abroad, that's a plus too."