More flights will be landing in Bermuda in 2005, with the addition of flights to Detroit and Miami and increased flight loads to Philadelphia and Newark.

Eight different airlines flew to Bermuda in 2004, representing 120 flights per week during the beach season, Tourism Director Cherie Whitter announced on Monday.

Also in 2004, United Airlines introduced non-stop service to Chicago, and low-cost carrier USA 3000 introduced non-stop service to Baltimore and Newark.

?The number of airlines serving Bermuda over a three-year period has increased by 50 percent.?

American Airlines will be introducing non-stop service to Miami twice a week by March, and five times a week by June ? opening up routes to the US West Coast and cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Latin America.

Northwest Airlines will introduce non-stop service to Detroit once a week by April of this year. USA 3000 will be increasing their flight load as well in 2005 with the introduction of three flights a week to Philadelphia by February.

Continental will also be increasing their flight load, upping their weekly flights to Newark from 14 to 21 in June. Low cost carrier Jet Blue, a well-informed source told yesterday, may begin service in April of 2006, not in 2005.

The reason, the source said, is because Jet Blue is waiting for delivery of brand new aircraft before beginning service to the Island. Jet Blue has also been concerned about the number of hotel beds on the Island, the source said.

The airline does not wish to have just one flight to Bermuda daily, but two or three, and there must be enough beds on the Island to make the service worthwhile. Tourism has targeted a goal of 66 hotel properties on the Island by the end of 2006. At the end of 2004, there were 58 hotel properties up and running in Bermuda. There will be 60 by the end of 2005.

Tourism Minister Ewart Brown addressed concerns about low-cost carriers coming to the Island on Monday.

Even people within the Ministry of Tourism have expressed concern about low-cost carriers, Dr. Brown said, questioning whether or not the type of passenger attracted to budget fares is the type of visitor Bermuda wants to attract.

Both he and Ms Whitter pointed out there is an emerging trend of travellers who travel cheaply, then stay in five-star accommodations at their destination. The wealthy did not become wealthy, he added, ?by paying exorbitant air fares?.