THE federal government has repeatedly knocked back the NSW Transport Minister’s request for a meeting about his proposal get regional airports more slots into Sydney Airport.

Andrew Constance hit out at Deputy Prime Minister and his federal colleagues for ignoring his idea to add an extra five slots for regional NSW towns to Sydney Airport’s hourly cap.

However, Mr Joyce said he nor the minister responsible, federal Transport Minister Darren Chester, had received “any correspondence” from the state government.

“Several attempts have been made to secure a meeting with the minister responsible –  these have been unsuccessful,” Mr Constance said

“The federal government is well aware of the need for extra slots for regional flights, and they are the only jurisdiction with the power to fix this handbrake on regional economies.

“I look forward to working with my federal colleagues in coming up with a solution that is in the best interests of regional NSW.”