Maastricht Aachen airport is to get a €4.5m capital injection from Limburg province after councillors voted in favour of a rescue plan.

The bail-out is necessary to stop the airport going bankrupt this summer, the NRC reported on Friday afternoon.

The capital injection will alleviate the acute financial problems facing the airport and maintain 800 jobs, the council said. The money will be largely used to pay for security measures involving customs, police and the fire service.

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The provincial authority says by directly targeting the cash at specific public sector services, Limburg will not break European rules on state support for private industry. The airport is 70% in private hands.

The NRC says the bail-out does not mean the future of the airport is secure because a permanent solution to the problems still has to be found.

The government has already made it clear the airport, which was privatised in 2004, cannot count on its support.