opportunities for Bermudians, Transport Minister the Hon. Maxwell Burgess told the House of Assembly yesterday.

Mr. Burgess brought the House up to date on the $616,000 one-year contract with the Vancouver International Airport Authority, under which three of five top Airport managers will come to Bermuda from Canada.

The general manager, operations manager, and financial comptroller will come from Canada, Mr. Burgess said. The air terminal manager and facilities manager posts will be filled by Bermudians.

The three foreign managers will have Bermudian understudies, and training Bermudians to take over the management of the Airport will be part of the contractor's job.

"Its programme includes seats at senior management training courses conducted by the International Aviation Management Training Institute,'' he said.

"Since 1987, this Canadian-based organisation has provided state-of-the-art practical management training to more than 3,000 aviation managers from 156 countries.

"Vancouver International is also committed to conducting workshops and providing ongoing guidance to its Bermudian understudies in collaboration with the Aviation Training Institute personnel.

"Internships at Vancouver International Airport and/or foreign airports with characteristics similar to Bermuda will also be arranged.'' The five managers will work in the new Department of Air Operations -- responsible for the over-all management of the Airport complex, including the terminal which formerly came under the Department of Civil Aviation.

Civil Aviation is to retain control of aviation regulation, with each department reporting directly to the Transport Minister. Government previously announced that Serco Aviation Services Inc. of Canada will be paid $4.4 million a year for the next five years to handle air operations at the Airport, which Bermuda must take over from the US Navy on June 1.

On Monday, Management and Technology Minister the Hon. Grant Gibbons is expected to name the contractor awarded the three-year, multi-million-dollar infrastructure contract at the Airport.