Bermuda has won the freedom to bring in its own charter flights and Italy and Brazil are under consideration as the Island seeks to up its air lift.

Government is now negotiating with the United Kingdom for autonomy on scheduled flights and, in the meantime, will have input whenever the UK is in air talks which may affect the Island.

Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said Government was seeking greater autonomy in aviation matters across the board.

He said: "These changes are good news for Bermuda's tourism initiatives, since we will be able to act more quickly than in the past when delays that inevitably occurred when permission had to be sought from the UK challenged our ability to be competitive.

"There are many pressing contracts on the board but we are not prepared to discuss them.'' However Tourism Director Richard Calderon pinpointed where the new flights might come from and said the Italian connection could start next summer.

He said: "It's no secret we've been working on scheduled flights out of Miami. In terms of charter flights, the one place we've actively pursued, and can now go after in a much bigger way, is Italy.

"The UK and Europe is a growth area. August is a slow month -- in the last five to ten years it's been trending down -- but Italians tend to travel almost exclusively in August. It's a perfect opportunity for us.

"It would be possibly two or three times a week. We are looking at 13 weeks starting from next summer.

"There are charters going to Jamaica and we would like to divert some of those.

"We've had preliminary discussion with charter airlines about direct flights.

"That is something we're able to pursue in a very big way as a result of this.'' Acting Tourism Minister Alex Scott said the change would allow the Department to plan strategically.

He said: "We can now begin to wrestle realistically with a charter policy.

"We can entertain the notion of air travel coming out of Italy and Brazil.

"In a twinkling of the eye, and the meeting of the minds that has taken this, changes the dynamics of tourism.

"Hotel rooms and flights are full so we do need more lift and put more muscle into creating beds so it is timely we get this option.

"The British government have been most accommodating.'' Bermuda gains Charter rights UK civil servant Graham Cory, who is assistant director of International Aviation Negotiations, said the top level talks had discussed how Bermuda could be given greater autonomy in aviation matters.

"They are not without very practical difficulties but they are problems we can work through together.

"I'm sure we made sufficient progress that, in the not too distant future, Bermuda's aspirations will be met.'' But he explained there were complications because Bermuda is not an independent state.

He said: "The world governing body in aviation does not recognise it as an independent, therefore other countries would not.

"It's a simple statement of international law. You can't wish that away.

"And there are a range of technical difficulties, but there is great meeting of minds on the ultimate goal.

"We are talking about problems achieving nirvana, but that doesn't mean to say there can be no evolution between now and then.

"We have agreed that in all international talks between the UK and a third state, if there are issues which may be significant to Bermuda, then Bermuda officials will be part of the negotiating team or help to agree a strategy for those talks and they will be in there on those talks to make sure Bermuda's interests are given the appropriate weight.

"It's a very important first and it starts now.'' He said the move fitted with Britain's White Paper on Overseas Territories which supported the utmost autonomy in its colonies.

"Aviation is fraught with difficulties -- other countries will not recognise Bermuda as a state on its own.

"But the UK, when it's negotiating, can have Bermuda officials involved right from the very start, determining what the strategy will be.

"And it gives Bermudian officials the opportunity to become involved with developing expertise in negotiation. We can achieve quite a lot at the moment without any constitutional changes.

"I can't predict what constitutional changes might happen, but if in the meantime Bermuda officials have developed expertise and savvy, that's no bad thing.'' But Mr. Cory was uncertain whether Bermuda could get aviation independence without having political independence.

He said: "That's where very difficult constitutional matters have to be resolved. I can't tell you. We'll have to work it out between us.'' TOURISM TOU