British Airways' extra Sunday service will run for 10 weeks between July 3 and September 4.

Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge exclaimed: "This is absolutely marvellous.

"I really welcome the news. It will help with demand during the peak period.'' BA's Bermuda manager Mr. Philip Troake agreed, saying: "This will be a major benefit to tourism.'' The airline's announcement yesterday had been expected.

Mr. Troake has been pushing hard for a fourth weekly flight during July, August, and early September.

"We did extremely well during the same period last year and this is the culmination of many months of negotiation to boost capacity this year.'' He added BA had been in touch with the Department of Tourism -- both here and in London -- to ensure Bermuda gained as much as it could from the extra flight.

"There are also obvious benefits for the corporate travellers as this will get them into London for the beginning of the business week.'' Mr. Troake said BA had a special summer saver fare for "leisure travellers''.

These low prices were exclusively targeted at the Bermuda market.

In addition, a new range of holidays was on offer for people who had never been to Britain or Europe.

Added Mr. Troake: "We have received excellent support from the travelling public whenever we have made enhancements to the route recently.

"We have every confidence that this latest challenge will be just as successful and that further enhancements can be justified in the future.'' The new flight reflects BA's continuing success.

BA say Gatwick-Bermuda between September 1993 to February 1994 averaged nearly 4,000 passengers a month.

That was a 20 percent rise over the same period a year earlier.

Three years ago BA announced it was cutting back to two flights a week from six.

Since then the airline has improved frequency after stemming the tide of losses on the route.

In February, BA announced a tripling of its pre-tax profits for the three months to December 31 1993.

They went up to $65 million from $20 million a year ago.

Pre-tax profits for the nine months to December 31 was $300 million, up 21.5 percent.

On the heels of such success, Mr. Troake and Mr. Woolridge want BA to continue the third weekly Thursday flight continued through next winter.

It is planned to revert to two flights a week in October.

Mr. Woolridge pointed out Government had boosted its tourism budget for Britain and Europe to $2.8 million.