An initiative introduced to help Bermudian students to travel abroad has reached full capacity, the Government has announced.

Under the scheme, all government travel on American Airlines was booked through a single account, allowing air mile credits to be built up and used to help students, athletes and those in need to travel.

A statement released yesterday said the programme, which wound down this week, had garnered an “overwhelming response”, surpassing expectations.

“The programme is now oversubscribed, indicating a high level of interest and participation from individuals seeking to avail themselves of the offered flight rewards,” the statement said.

“The accumulated points from travel were offered to be used to assist Bermudian students travelling abroad for education, athletes representing the island and other citizens needing support for travel in emergencies.

“Since the programme was implemented, the points have been used to assist several students in returning home or to university and athletes travelling abroad to represent Bermuda in competitions.”

The statement said that the Government was informed last month that the Business Extra programme would end this week, and subsequently offered assistance to several local organisations and residents in need.

David Burt said: “We appreciate the overwhelming response we have received and are thankful for the opportunity to offer assistance to our students during the holiday season.”

The Premier added: “In alignment with the Government's 2017 election platform, which mandated the consolidation of all publicly funded travel under a unified business frequent flyer account in the Government of Bermuda's name, we have successfully fulfilled this commitment.

“This policy, implemented to enhance efficiency, has proven beneficial for many individuals over the years, demonstrating our commitment to delivering on promises.”