Premier Andrew Furey is putting much of the responsibility of reducing the cost of flights in and out of Labrador on the federal government.

Yesterday, the province announced the expansion of the WestJet London-Gatwick flight, and the addition of other seasonal flights to Dublin and Paris.

While that comes as good news for those locking to travel internationally, travel within the province is still high, particularly in Labrador where reports indicate prices are triple the national average.

Furey says he hears the concerns about air access in Labrador, and government is speaking with airports across the province to look at “creative ways to address the issue.”

That says, Furey places a lot of that responsibility on the shoulders of Ottawa.

He says the province makes “almost nothing” off the price of an airline ticket, whereas the federal government makes money off things like the carbon tax on the fuel, landing fees, airport improvement fees, and security fees. Furey argues those fees add a “significant burden” on the cost of a ticket.

The premier will be in Ottawa this week to plead his case directly to the federal minister.