McCook Municipal Airport and North Platte Regional Airport will submit a joint application for $225,000 under the Small Community Air Service Program to advertise and promote both airports.

With $55,000 in local funding, the two airports will have a war chest of about $300,000 to try to persuade travelers to fly out of an airport closer to home.

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Councilman Phil Lyons said he would rather see the money spent to lower ticket prices for travelers flying out of McCook.

The application, however, probably would not be approved if it included such subsidies, grant writer Denise Ringenberg told the council.

Doug Vap of the McCook Airport Advisory Board said commercial air service is threatened in McCook, and to continue, boardings must increase.

"You can advertise until the cows come home, but if you don't get the ticket prices down, it won't do any good," Jay Austin of the Prairie and Coyote County radio stations told the council.

The application was approved 4-1 with Lyons opposed.