The mayor of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality says he will push for better air service for the island.

Cecil Clarke said he recently had to change plans twice for a trip to Ottawa when he couldn't get a seat on Air Canada flights between Sydney and Halifax.

"Then when there was availability, to get to a situation where the tax-in price was $1,500, or just above — that's not reasonable when you can fly literally across the country or across the world — yet that same cost is getting from Sydney to Halifax," he said. "It's prohibitive."

Clarke said the high cost of flying to Cape Breton is hurting the tourism and convention business.

He said he plans to work with the Sydney Airport Authority to try to attract another carrier, such as Westjet or Porter.

Air Canada is the only airline that provides daily service to Cape Breton. Westjet offers flights between Sydney and Toronto in the summer and fall.