The first in a series of summer flights between Bermuda and the Azores was welcomed to LF Wade International Airport yesterday.

The SATA Azores Airline flight from Ponta Delgada was greeted with a shower from fire trucks on the runway.

The flight departed the island for Ponta Delgada shortly before noon.

The next direct Azores flight will take place on June 27, with the service to operate weekly throughout July and August.

Lawrence Scott, the Minister of Transport, said earlier this month the flight would help to increase travel between the island and Europe

He added that the Government was looking to bolster travel opportunities for “underserved travellers within our community using the various demographics that make up the tapestry of Bermudian culture”.

Mr Scott also said that the Ministry was exploring air service opportunities in the Caribbean and the Far East.