BermudAir’s expansion of service into Canada had been welcomed as a much needed plus for the island’s tourism industry as the start of the busy summer season approaches.

Representatives of the Bermuda Tourism Authority said they were delighted by the new flights between the island and Toronto and Halifax, scheduled to launch in May.

Erin Smith, the BTA chief operating officer, said: “As BermudAir’s network continues to grow, they are providing visitors with more and more options to get to Bermuda and experience what we have to offer.”

Jamari Douglas, vice-president of marketing, PR and communications at the BTA, added: “In light of this exciting development, the Bermuda Tourism Authority is planning a series of initiatives to raise awareness about Bermuda in Canada.

“We are working closely with our partners, including BermudAir, to launch targeted marketing campaigns, promotional events and collaborative efforts to showcase the island’s unique charm, culture and hospitality to the Canadian market.

“We aim to highlight Bermuda as an ideal destination for vacations and getaways and emphasise the ease and convenience of travelling to the island.

“By increasing our visibility in Canada and demonstrating the beauty and diversity of Bermuda experiences, we can inspire more Canadians to visit and explore our shores.”

Stephen Todd, the chief executive of the Bermuda Hotel Authority, said he was excited to see the additional airlift come online this spring, noting that it would also prove useful for Bermudian students overseas.

“The decision on the part of BermudAir is particularly welcome since WestJet announced that they would not be resuming flights to Bermuda this year, which left just Air Canada,” he said.

“Of course, additional airlift is not only a benefit to visitors who want to fly to Bermuda or Bermudians who wish to visit Canada. It’s also a benefit to students that have been required to travel through Toronto if they are studying in Halifax.”

He added that additional airlift would only help make Bermuda a more attractive destination for travellers considering visiting the island for work or leisure.

BermudAir announced last week that it would launch air service to Toronto and Halifax in May.

The Toronto service is scheduled to take off on May 17, with the Bermuda-based airline offering three weekly flights to the city.

Weekly Saturday service to Halifax, meanwhile, will launch on May 25.

The additional flights are the most significant change to the May flight schedule, as published online last week by Skyport.

BermudAir will continue to offer daily service to Boston, along with five weekly flights to Westchester and Fort Lauderdale.

The airline will also fly three weekly flights to Baltimore and Orlando, routes that were launched just last month.

JetBlue is also set to increase service to the island, resuming daily service to Boston in the month while continuing to offer daily service to New York JFK.

American Airlines will continue to offer daily service to Charlotte, New York JFK, Miami, Philadelphia and Washington DC, United Airlines are scheduled to provide daily service to Newark and British Airways will continue its daily service to London Heathrow.

Meanwhile, Delta will offer three weekly flights to Atlanta and four weekly flights to New York JFK, and Air Canada will offer three weekly flights between Bermuda and Toronto.