Air Transport

Macquarie Airports' (MAp) Sydney Airport posted a 6% year-on-year increase in passenger traffic for the month of October, although traffic at its European airports fell.

Sydney Airport's October passenger numbers rose 6% to 3.1 million, compared with 2.9 million in October 2008, says MAp. International traffic rose 13% to 973,000; domestic traffic rose 4% to 2.1 million.

The 13% growth in international traffic was attributable to school holidays and the World Masters Games, says MAp CEO Kerrie Mather.

She also noted improved conditions for international travel, which have resulted in Emirates adding a third daily service, V Australia's entry on the Sydney-Fiji route in mid-December, additional services by Thai Airways International and China Eastern Airlines, as well as Tiger Airways' doubling of its capacity at Sydney in October.

In MAp's European portfolio, Copenhagen Airport's October traffic fell 3% year-on-year to 1.8 million; Brussels Airport October traffic fell 6% to 1.5 million; and Bristol Airport's October traffic fell 1% to 525,000.