Air Canada has increased its airlift between Toronto and Bermuda as the island hosts the Canadian Construction Association annual conference.

About 700 people are expected to fly to the island for the conference, which will run from today to March 28 at the Fairmont Southampton hotel.

Air Canada has increased the number of flights to and from Bermuda and temporarily swapped the 146-seat Airbus 320 usually used in favour of a 200-seat Airbus 321 to meet the demand.

The first of the Airbus 321 flights, branded as Air Canada Rouge, arrived today.

Kevin Dallas, the Bermuda Tourism Authority CEO, said: “We are very grateful to our partners at Air Canada for stepping up with extra capacity to satisfy this demand because group travel is critically important to Bermuda’s tourism success, particularly at this time of year.

He added events like the CCA annual conference were a major boost for tourism-related businesses.

Mr Dallas said: “Typically, when a big group fills our larger properties, it channels a bump in leisure business to smaller properties.

“This, in turn, has a positive impact on small tourism businesses island wide from transport to retail to excursion providers.”

Zane DeSilva, the Minister of Tourism and Transport, added: “This is an excellent example of collaboration between our tourism stakeholders.

“Working together, the BTA and Air Canada devised a solution that benefits all.

“Facilitating a larger plane ensures our regular travellers and those attending the conference will not be inconvenienced.

“This is a win for Bermuda and strengthens our relationship with Air Canada and the Canadian Construction Association.”

A BTA spokesman said the conference-goers had been invited to take part in a series of events created to highlight Bermudian culture, including a presentation on the island’s seagoing history, a night out at the National Museum of Bermuda and a beach party.