KENT County Council has lost its £100,000 investment in EUjet.

The council injected the sum from its regeneration fund, largely earned from Kings Hill Business Park in West Malling, to ensure the airline launched its operations in Kent.

But the collapse of EUjet and PlaneStation, its owner and also the owner of Kent International Airport, came as a bitter blow to council chiefs.

Cllr Alex King, KCC’s Cabinet member for regeneration who masterminded the investment, said it was a sad day for Kent and airline workers.

He defended KCC’s decision to invest in a private sector venture.

He said: "EUjet would not have come to Kent without that £100,000. I do not regret it for one moment.

"That was an investment that brought an airline to Manston. That airline has demonstrated you can fly those routes.

"They have significant passenger bookings for the summer which may not now be fulfilled unless we can solve this problem very fast."

He added: "We believe that Kent International Airport has demonstrated its viability over many years as a cargo airport.

"We believe EUjet against tremendous difficulties in the aviation world has demonstrated the potential for Manston as a passenger airport.

"The county council will be looking to the administrator to deal with the situation with PlaneStation and KIA in such a way that it will continue to provide this important airport, recognised in the Government’s airport study for the South East and the county’s structure plan as an important part of the transport and communications infrastructure for Kent.

"There will be urgent discussions with the admininstrator to emphasise this point and we will be available to talk to interested parties about the enormous value of this asset to Kent."

The popularity of EUjet had proved commitment by the people of Kent to a regional airport.

He said Kent remained on course to forge aviation links with Virginia, USA, in 2007 to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first English settlers there.

And Kent also had the opportunity to be a major base for tourism in 2012 when the Olympic Games come to London.

"We should not underrate the opportunities that still exist," he said.