The Council for the West has called on the Government to secure Knock International Airport's future in Co Mayo, as an "essential part" of the National Development Plan.
Knock required "at least the same support" from Government as had been provided in the past for other State-funded airports, the council's chairwoman, Ms Marian Harkin, said.
She was commenting on the announcement by Ryanair earlier this week that it intends to suspend flights on its Knock-London route from January 11th as a result of a new £6 passenger levy which the airport says it has to introduce next month if it is to remain open.
The airport board has defended the levy on the grounds that it faces a loss of £800,000 annually following the abolition of duty-free sales.
Ms Harkin said Knock was an "essential component" of the infrastructure of the west of Ireland, and had to receive whatever assistance was necessary to keep it open at all times.
"Like all the other regional airports, it reduces peripherality for those living in the region, and those wishing to visit," she said. "By providing regular air services, it encourages the spread of business and investment, which is absolutely essential if we are to have balanced development within the region."
Criticism of the Government's approach to Knock was voiced yesterday by the North Connacht Farmers' Co-op (NCF), but it also described the Ryanair threat to withdraw services as "arrogant in the extreme". The airline deserved praise for bringing affordable air travel to Ireland, but "while making enormous profits, Ryanair is losing consciousness of the need for reasonable behaviour and fair play", NCF said in a statement.
The Knock Airport board would not comment on speculation yesterday that Virgin Airlines may be a possible replacement customer, but confirmed that it was talking to a number of airlines and would make an announcement next week.
A spokesman for Virgin declined to comment yesterday on whether talks had taken place with the board of Knock Airport.
The Knock board had made a commitment to maintain routes and expand services next year, a spokeswoman for the board said.
Yesterday Ryanair responded to comments made in the Dail last Wednesday by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke. Knock Airport required subsidies similar to those allocated to other airports, the airline reiterated, and the Minister was "losing touch with the interests of the consumer, and particularly low-income families", it said.