As frustration grows over the city’s flight slot woes into Kingsford Smith Airport, Tamworth councillor Juanita Wilson believes something should be done about the issue – and fast.

“There is still frustration being expressed and the only thing I can see as a solution is may be a scheduling readjustment or a reallocation of unused allocation slots from other airlines,” she said.

“At the moment they are exempting smaller aircraft and prioritising larger runs such as the Melbourne to Sydney route.”

Cr Wilson said it was important for business to have a regular, reliable service.

“We really need reliable business to keep things  ticking over in regional areas.

“It is quite interesting, the government is seeing regional areas as a solution to lots of problems such as population and moving density to regional areas rather than extreme growth in city areas.

“If they want that to happen there needs to be a reliable airline service to regional areas, the slot allocations are really outdated and the dynamics of airline movement in the bush and people’s demand has increase dramatically.”

Cr Wilson’s comments were echoed by Tamworth Business Chamber president Lia Mahony who said in terms of business, reliable services were key.

“I think having a regular and available service is really important and also having them at the right time,” she said.

“So many of our local business people travel to and from Sydney regularly to conduct business and vice versa.

“Business people try to come to our region in hope of doing business and growing our business community and need to get in and out of here at a service that is at a price point and the times that people want.”

Ms Mahony stressed that the airlines were not at fault of the slot issues but rather it was the allocations.

”I think airlines are very much attempting to do a good job,” she said.

“It is the external pressures of airport congestion and not the airlines themselves – this is important to note.

"There is no point slamming local providers. Airplanes are always a topical issue, the cost of flights and access to them. I do believe in having competition and different services and improving them.”

Their comments follow meetings by Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson with New England MP Barnaby Joyce and Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester in Canberra on Monday night. 

Mr Anderson also met with Airport Coordination Australia CEO Petra Popovac about the issue where lifting the number of aircraft movements from 80 to 85 per hour was discussed.