regular Boston carriers, a Tourism Department official said yesterday.

That was why an application from TNT/The Haley Corporation to resume the flights next year was turned down, said Mr. Peter Smith, the Department's assistant director for marketing.

Mr. Smith was reacting to complaints from TNT president Mr. Douglas Frank. Mr.

Frank said his company would be cautious about starting new charters to Bermuda after seeing its Providence, Rhode Island charter taken away. The company had built a market for the flight and then lost it after one year, he said.

But Mr. Smith countered that there was no discussion of a multi-year contract when the Rhode Island charter was approved. If TNT felt it needed a multi-year deal from Providence, it should have said so.

Tourism Minister the Hon. C.V. (Jim) Woolridge recently announced he had turned down the Rhode Island proposal but permitted two American tour operators to run twice-weekly charters from Philadelphia and Virginia.

Though rejected for Rhode Island, TNT could operate from Dulles Airport just outside Washington DC from April 4 to November 28.

And Apple Tours of Philadelphia could operate a similar charter from Philadelphia from May 2 to November 4.

Last year, TNT flew from Rhode Island and Apple flew from Philadelphia. They were both given approval to fly out of Dulles, but TNT declined and the two operators essentially shared the Apple flights out of Dulles.

Rhode Island was approved last year because it was felt the New England market needed a stimulus and it was believed the Providence charter would not adversely affect the Boston scheduled carriers which visit Bermuda year-round, he said.

In the analysis of the Tourism Department, "the stimulus occurred and New England responded,'' Mr. Smith said.

However, "the charter...did affect the scheduled carriers out of Boston. Not a lot, but enough to concern us and to concern the scheduled carriers.'' USAir, Delta, and Northwest all fly from Boston.