Air Southwest and Ryanair operate out of the airport

Newquay Airport depends on services provided by RAF St Mawgan which the government wants to mothball in 2007.

The move would force council leaders to find an extra �2m a year to provide cover for firefighting and air traffic control at the airport.

Options to cover the extra costs could include raising airport charges.

Under current proposals, flying from St Mawgan will cease in April 2007. The station will be mothballed pending a decision on the possible deployment of the new aircraft to the base as part of a government's Strategic Air Review.

Station commander Group Captain James Goodbourn said: "I'm very sad. I care very much for my people here, especially the civilian staff and what's going to happen to them after 2007."

Last week, Cornwall County Council unveiled plans for a multi-million pound airport extension. That has now been put on hold.

The county council says the base and airport helps bring in �37m a year into the local economy and it may have to consider a huge investment to replace the air traffic control, runway maintenance and fire cover provided by the Ministry of Defence.

That currently costs the council �500,000 a year. The Devon and Cornwall Business Council said it could cost up to �2.5m a year to replace this cover without the military's involvement.

Cornwall Council leader John Lobb said: "We've got to talk very seriously to government and try to address as quickly as we can this uncertainty."

Airlines which run services out of the airport say they are committed to its future.

St Mawgan could be a base for Joint Combat Aircraft in 2013

However, Air Southwest said it saw only one way forward.

Mike Coombes, of the airline, said: "The key thing now is a concerted approach from both public and private sectors to secure the civilian side of the airport operation."

Michael Crawley, from Ryanair, said his company was not at present considering pulling out of Newquay.

But he added: "However, if there is no air traffic control, then we can't fly there because there are minimum technical and safety requirements that are needed for our operation.