"I think we can find a good agreement between Vinci and the state," Bruno Le Maire said on French radio station Europe 1.

Le Maire said he had a "constructive" first meeting with Vinci's chairman and chief executive Xavier Huillard on Thursday. The finance minister said he wanted tax payers to pay as little as possible.

Vinci had secured the contract to build and operate the proposed airport near Nantes and independent experts have said it could stand to receive up to 350 million euros (£308.4 million).

(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; editing by Richard Lough)