Salem city councilors authorized the city to spend up to $300,000 to subsidize flights out of the Salem Airport, with the hope of getting a new carrier to the negotiation table after losing Avelo Airlines over the summer.

Councilors voted 6-3 to authorize $100,000 of general fund dollars per year for three years to bolster $1.2 million raised by Travel Salem, Fly Salem, Marion County and other private donors.

The city’s share of the money was already earmarked for the airport and would have been spent on airport operations.

The $1.5 million will be offered to a possible future commercial air carrier as a pot of subsidies it can tap if ticket sales are lackluster, according to a staff report from Public Works Director Brian Martin.

The arrangement is similar to subsidies provided to A

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