The Canadian Ambassador to Ireland said this week that he was pushing to establish a direct air link between Ireland and Newfoundland.

Ambassador Loyola Hearn, who was once a cabinet minister in the Federal Conservative Government, said demand for flights between the two countries would increase now that Canada was accepting 5,000 Irish citizens on work visas this year. He said a regular, direct flight would also boost tourism to both places.

At present, travellers must fly to Halifax or London to get from Newfoundland to Ireland.

Ambassador Hearn said he was setting up meetings with representatives in the airline industry to try to change that. Either St John’s or Gander airports could accommodate flight service to Ireland, he added.