A private partner could be brought in to share ownership of Leeds Bradford Airport in return for funding.

The option is recommended in a private consultants' report into the airport's future commissioned by Leeds Council. Top-level talks about the plan are being held.

Leeds Bradford is Britain's only municipal airport, with Leeds and Bradford Council holding the biggest share and the rest being held equally between Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield councils.

But Liberal Democrat leader of Leeds Council, Councillor Mark Harris, said he would want the Council to retain shares if a private partner was found. He said: "We are going to discuss the situation with other authorities. The view of the Council administration is that we want what is best for the airport."

He said finance injected by a private partner could "dwarf" what a council could provide.

"I would want to continue the councils' involvement," he said. "All I want is for the airport to prosper."

Councillor Tony Cairns, deputy chairman of the airport board, said he believed the five councils should retain the controlling interest if they were joined by a private partner.

He said: "It is an asset which benefits the region. It is an economic regenerator."

Coun Cairns said the proposal had not been put to the board and he believed it should be discussed by members.

He said the terrorist attack on New York on September 9, 2001, had affected airlines. "Profitability has been depressed but we are confident it will recover," he said.

Leader of Bradford Council's Liberal Democrat group Councillor Jeanette Sunderland said it would be a matter for the board. "It has to be in the best interests of the Bradford district," she said.

Leeds Council's deputy leader Councillor Andrew Carter said: "It would be helpful to have a private partner of some sort. We want to ensure the long term profitability of the airport. The success of Bradford and Leeds depends on this.

"There are profits but there is also investment capital and it would be up to the local authorities whether they wanted to retain their shares."

The airport carries two million passengers a year.

In 2004/05 it made a pre-tax profit of about £1.2 million compared with £2.6 million for the previous year.