Sydney Airport passenger numbers up 3.7%

A strong rise in international passengers has helped Sydney Airport lift the total number of passengers going through its gates by 3.7 per cent rise.

The number of passengers going through Sydney Airport's gates has risen 3.7 per cent to 3.6 million in October.

International traffic, with 1.2 million passengers passing through, was up 8.3 per cent in the month, compared to October 2015, while domestic traffic was up 1.4 per cent to 2.3 million people.

Chief executive Kerrie Mather said the strong lift in international traffic growth was due to additional seat capacity by new and existing airlines.