Airlines will soon cut some of its flights to Bermuda.

Mr. Allen believes that the airline will axe routes possibly before the summer, and he is demanding Government action to ensure that there is sufficient "air lift'' for visitors during the peak season.

But his comments have been attacked by American Airlines which says cuts in Bermuda are not part of immediate future plans.

The company's general manager, Ms Carol DeCouto, said the shadow minister had rehashed a story that had already been refuted.

Mr. Allen, who is at a conference in Anchorage, Alaska, said: "The United Bermuda Party has long been complacent and buried its head in the sand when it comes to the long-evidenced volatility of airline services to Bermuda, typified early on by the demise of Pan American and Eastern Airlines and cutbacks in USAir service.

"Industry experts have made it clear to me, in the past several days, that they now consider at least some American Airlines' routes to be potentially endangered by what appears to be a plan to drastically downsize one of the two major carriers serving Bermuda from the US.

"According to my sources, not only the survival of the Raleigh-Durham route, essential for tapping the middle-Atlantic and Southeast US routes, but other cuts are potentially at risk.'' Ms DeCouto said: "He has just picked up the same story that appeared a week ago. It has all been explained. There are no immediate plans for a reduction of flights into Bermuda.''.