Plans for a duty-free store at the airport ran into heavy opposition yesterday.

Airport Operations General Manager Mr. Jack Gordon said that duty-free shopping was the next step for the airport to make money. But local businessman Mr. Roger Davidson expressed grave concern.

Transport Minister the Hon. Wayne Furbert said the concept had not yet been accepted but that it was "being strongly looked at'' by Government. Mr.

Davidson contended it was "grossly unfair'' for Government to ask a "struggling retail industry'' and "everything it supported'' to operate under one set of rules and compete against a duty-free store.

But Mr. Furbert said the airport had already started increasing the charges that airlines paid for landing and pre-clearance fees and stressed that it was unfair to unload all the airport's running costs on them. He added that other airports received a large portion of their income from retail and for Bermuda to remain competitive, it should follow their lead.

Mr. Furbert stressed that Government would restrict what items were sold duty free and added that he could not see visitors waiting until they returned to the airport before they bought anything.